Utah
Governor
Spencer Cox (Republican)
House Party
Republican Supermajority
Senate Party
Republican Supermajority
Key Offices & Links
8
54
West
Progress by Policy Area
- Enacted
- In-progress
- Partially Enacted
- Not Enacted
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Projections in Utah
Status | Policy | Policy Area | Policy Category | YR Enacted | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Climate action plans are documents that clearly outline the policies and strategies that the state intends to implement to meet its emissions reduction targets. Draft plans are often published first, and after a period of public comments and revisions, a final plan is released. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Climate Governance | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Climate advisory bodies often write or advise on a state's climate plan, and make non-binding recommendations on climate policy design and implementation. The bodies can consist of all non-government members, or be a mix of government and non-government members. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Climate Governance | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Climate bureaucracy consists of dedicated climate offices and staff, interagency working groups, task forces, and other bodies made up of government staff. These bodies are often responsible for writing a state's climate plan and implementing the policies and strategies identified to meet its climate targets. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Climate Governance | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets are set by a state to reduce the amount of GHG emissions across all economic sectors. These targets aim to limit emissions by certain amounts over time, often expressed as a percentage reduction from a baseline year. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Climate Governance | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
State greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventories report sector-based GHG emissions in a given year, and often provide historical data on emissions over time. Inventories may also include data on co-pollutant emissions. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Climate Governance | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Cumulative impact assessments determine the health and environmental impacts of renewing or granting a permit for certain pollution-generating facilities in environmental justice communities. Increased pollution burdens in communities may result in the permit application being denied. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Environmental Justice and Equity | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Environmental justice (EJ) advisory bodies are responsible for making recommendations on EJ policy, integrating EJ and equity principles into climate policy, and increasing public engagement. These bodies can consist of all non-government members, or be a mix of government and non-government members. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Environmental Justice and Equity | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Environmental justice (EJ) bureaucracy consists of dedicated EJ offices and staff, interagency task forces, and other bodies made up of government staff responsible for developing and implementing EJ policy. These entities are often tasked with integrating EJ and equity into climate policy design and implementation. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Environmental Justice and Equity | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Environmental justice (EJ) community definitions identify the specific, quantifiable thresholds that designate a geographical area as an EJ community. These definitions account for multiple factors, including both environmental and socioeconomic stressors, that may contribute to persistent environmental health disparities. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Environmental Justice and Equity | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Environmental justice (EJ) community investment requirements help ensure communities most impacted by environmental burdens are benefitting equitably from public programs by requiring a certain percentage of funds and/or benefits from other policies are allocated to EJ communities. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Environmental Justice and Equity | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Environmental justice (EJ) mapping tools are interactive maps that visualize key EJ concepts, such as demographic information, EJ community definitions, and environmental and public health threats. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Environmental Justice and Equity | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Just transition advisory bodies write or advise on a state's just transition plan or report, and make recommendations on ways to support affected workers, communities, and industries. The bodies can consist of all non-government members, or be a mix of government and non-government members. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Just Transition | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Just transition funds support initiatives and investments aimed at facilitating the equitable transition of workers and communities affected by shifts in industries or policies that transition from fossil fuels. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Just Transition | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Just transition offices and staff assist workers and communities transitioning away from fossil fuel extraction and use, typically through retraining programs and support with relocation and economic diversification. Offices and staff also coordinate with other state agencies to effectively design policy to achieve a just transition. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Just Transition | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Just transition plans are documents that outline policies and recommendations aimed at supporting communities, workers, and industries affected by the transition away from fossil fuels. The plans often focus on workforce development and retraining, job creation, and economic diversification. |
Climate Governance and Equity
|
Just Transition | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Green banks are public, quasi-public, or non-profit entities that use innovative financing to invest in climate solutions and attract private capital across various economic sectors. |
Cross-Sector
|
Climate Finance | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Carbon pollution pricing establishes a pollution fee or cap-and-trade program on the greenhouse gas emissions associated with each sector/source of emissions within the state. Programs typically cover the electricity, buildings, transportation, and/or industrial sectors. |
Cross-Sector
|
Carbon Valuation | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
The social cost of carbon is a monetary estimate of the damage of each ton of greenhouse gases emitted. The social cost of carbon is used to quantify and monetize climate damages, representing the net economic cost of climate pollution to society. |
Cross-Sector
|
Carbon Valuation | ||
Enacted |
Electricity
|
Energy Plans and Targets | 2008 | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Clean energy plans are documents that outline the policies and strategies states can implement to meet clean energy targets. Draft plans are often published first, and after a period of public comments and revisions, a final plan is released. |
Electricity
|
Energy Plans and Targets | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Electricity greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets are set by a state to limit GHG emissions in the electricity sector. These targets aim to reduce emissions by different amounts over time, often expressed as percentage relative to a baseline year. |
Electricity
|
Energy Plans and Targets | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Community choice aggregation allows local governments to procure power on behalf of their residents, businesses, and municipal accounts from an alternative supplier while still receiving transmission and distribution service from their existing utility provider. |
Electricity
|
Clean Energy Generation | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled. Establishing Policies
Policy Components
0/5
|
Electricity
|
Clean Energy Generation | ||
Partially Enacted |
Empty column
The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled. Establishing Policies
Policy Components
6/11
|
Electricity
|
Clean Energy Generation | ||
Partially Enacted |
Empty column
The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled. Establishing Policies
Policy Components
4/6
|
Electricity
|
Clean Energy Generation | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Energy storage targets establish procurement targets for energy storage systems by a certain date, often with interim targets. Targets can vary from broad megawatt (MW) requirements to more specific mandates that focus on the adoption of certain storage technologies. |
Electricity
|
Transmission, Distribution, and Energy Storage | ||
Enacted |
Empty column
Utah received a D grade from Freeing the Grid. Establishing Policies
|
Electricity
|
Transmission, Distribution, and Energy Storage | 2023 | |
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Coal phaseouts establish a target year by which states must end coal-fired power generation. |
Electricity
|
Coal Retirement | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Coal securitization is a financing tool that allows utility companies to refinance debt they issued to build coal plants and close the facilities early without taking a financial hit or passing costs on to ratepayers. |
Electricity
|
Coal Retirement | ||
Enacted |
Empty column
The statewide energy code for commercial building construction is 2021 IECC and ASHRAE 90.1-2019. Establishing Policies
|
Buildings and Efficiency
|
Building Codes | 2023 | |
Enacted |
Empty column
The statewide energy code for residential construction is 2015 IECC. Establishing Policies
|
Buildings and Efficiency
|
Building Codes | 2019 | |
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Stretch building energy codes are an optional, more stringent building code established by the state that local jurisdictions can adopt to require that newly constructed buildings are more efficient than the baseline state codes. |
Buildings and Efficiency
|
Building Codes | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Appliance standards set minimum energy and water conservation requirements for appliances and equipment. |
Buildings and Efficiency
|
Building Standards | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Building performance standards establish energy and/or greenhouse gas performance targets for existing buildings in a state. These targets increase in stringency over time, leading to efficiency improvements in buildings to conserve energy and reduce emissions. |
Buildings and Efficiency
|
Building Standards | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Clean heat standards establish a performance standard requiring heat providers to deliver a gradually-increasing percentage of low-emission heating services to customers. |
Buildings and Efficiency
|
Building Standards | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Energy efficiency resource standards (EERS) establish targets and deadlines for utilities to reduce electricity demand through efficiency or "demand side" programs. |
Buildings and Efficiency
|
Building Efficiency | ||
Enacted |
Empty column
Utah has enacted commercial PACE-enabling legislation and has active programs. Establishing Policies
|
Buildings and Efficiency
|
Building Efficiency | 2017 | |
Partially Enacted |
Empty column
The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled. Establishing Policies
Policy Components
2/4
|
Buildings and Efficiency
|
Building Efficiency | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
All-electric buildings policies require new buildings to be constructed with all-electric heating, cooling, and cooking systems to transition away from fossil-fuel use in buildings. |
Buildings and Efficiency
|
Building Electrification | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Electric vehicle rebates offer rebates to make light-duty electric vehicles more affordable to increase their adoption in a state. |
Transportation
|
Light-Duty Vehicles | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Under Section 177 of the Clean Air Act, California has the unique authority to establish vehicle emission standards more stringent than federal standards, and other states may adopt California’s standards. These Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV) standards control tailpipe emissions of criteria pollutants and greenhouse gasses from light-duty vehicles. |
Transportation
|
Light-Duty Vehicles | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandates, also known as "clean car standards," require automakers to produce and sell a certain percentage of zero-emission light-duty vehicles each model year based on total new vehicle sales. The most stringent ZEV mandates require 100% of new vehicle sales to be electric by 2035 and are known as "Advanced Clean Cars II". |
Transportation
|
Light-Duty Vehicles | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Low NOx Omnibus Rules establish stringent tailpipe emission standards for heavy duty vehicles, updated testing procedures, and technology-neutral compliance mechanisms to reduce nitrous oxide (NOx) pollution. The regulation must be adopted first by California, and other states may adopt the regulation under the federal Clean Air Act. |
Transportation
|
Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Medium- and heavy-duty (MHD) zero-emission vehicle mandates, also known as "Advanced Clean Trucks", require automakers to produce and sell a certain number of zero-emission MHD vehicles to fulfill a quota based on a percentage of total sales in states. |
Transportation
|
Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Medium- and heavy-duty (MHD) electric vehicle rebates consist of programs and policies that offer rebates to make MHD electric vehicles more affordable to increase their adoption in a state. |
Transportation
|
Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Electric bus procurement targets require that a certain percentage or number of school buses and/or transit buses purchased or leased by the state, transit authorities, and/or school districts must be electric or zero-emissions. |
Transportation
|
Lead by Example | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Public fleet electric vehicle (EV) procurement targets require that a certain percentage or number of vehicles purchased or leased by the state are zero-emission or electric vehicles. This can apply to passenger cars, light-duty vehicles, and/or medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in a state’s public fleet. |
Transportation
|
Lead by Example | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure rebates offer rebates to make the purchase and/or installation costs of EV charging infrastructure more affordable. |
Transportation
|
EV Charging Infrastructure | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure requirements establish mandates for the installation of EV charging infrastructure in new construction or developments, such as residential or commercial buildings, and public parking lots. |
Transportation
|
EV Charging Infrastructure | ||
Enacted |
Empty column
State of Utah Electric Vehicle Master Plan, 2nd Edition Establishing Policies
|
Transportation
|
Transportation Plans and Targets | 2020 | |
Not Enacted |
Empty column
A low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) is a market-based mechanism to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels and account for the fuel's life cycle greenhouse gas emissions. |
Transportation
|
Transportation Plans and Targets | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets are set by a state to limit emissions in the transportation sector. These targets aim to reduce emissions by specific amounts over time, often expressed as a percentage reduction from a baseline year. |
Transportation
|
Transportation Plans and Targets | ||
Partially Enacted |
Empty column
Utah is ranked 10th out of 50 in the 2022 Bicycle Friendly State rankings by the League of American Bicyclists. Establishing Policies
Policy Components
4/5
|
Transportation
|
Public and Active Transportation | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Buy clean requirements mandate or incentivize the use of low-carbon construction materials, such as concrete and steel, in public projects to address embodied carbon. |
Industry, Materials, and Waste Management
|
Industrial Decarbonization | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) regulations include phasedown commitments, rulemakings, disclosure requirements, bans, or other measures that reduce HFC usage and emissions. |
Industry, Materials, and Waste Management
|
F-gas Regulations | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) regulations include phasedown commitments, reporting requirements, bans, or other measures that reduce SF6 usage and emissions. |
Industry, Materials, and Waste Management
|
F-gas Regulations | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Fracking bans prohibit the practice of hydraulic fracking for the production of oil and/or natural gas by a certain year. Legislation often requires an environmental agency or department to promulgate regulations. |
Industry, Materials, and Waste Management
|
Oil and Gas Regulations | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Oil and gas methane regulations include phasedown commitments, reporting requirements, leak detection and repair, or other measures that reduce methane emissions from oil and gas production. |
Industry, Materials, and Waste Management
|
Oil and Gas Regulations | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. |
Industry, Materials, and Waste Management
|
Waste Management | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Landfill methane regulations include rulemakings, emissions monitoring, emissions control, or other measures that reduce methane emissions from decaying organic waste in landfills. |
Industry, Materials, and Waste Management
|
Waste Management | ||
Enacted |
Empty column
The Utah Soil Health Program provides grants to fund the implementation soil health practices. Establishing Policies
|
Natural and Working Lands
|
Agriculture | 2021 | |
Enacted |
Empty column
The Utah Soil Health Program provides technical assistance to promote and increase the implementation soil health practices. Establishing Policies
|
Natural and Working Lands
|
Agriculture | 2021 |