Dear Editor,
I applaud the Moab City Council for passing a resolution to establish renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals for the city.
This resolution, if adhered to, will help protect access to clean air, clean water and a livable environment for Moab residents and visitors now and into the future.
It is my hope that Moab’s resolution, alongside similar efforts in Salt Lake and Park City, will also help motivate Rocky Mountain Power to invest in greater development and use of renewable energy across Utah.
There has been some misunderstanding about this resolution forcing homeowners to install solar panels. It does no such thing, and I encourage residents to read the resolution and also educate themselves on the myriad of ways renewable energy can be produced, including but not limited to: solar, wind, geothermal and biofuels.
Finally, renewables are not necessarily more expensive than fossil fuels, as often argued by opponents (check out Rocky Mountain Power’s solar subscriber program), and when you add up the health costs of increased respiratory illnesses associated with poor air quality in communities like Salt Lake, renewable energy becomes even cheaper.
Let’s support our council members and our community and give this resolution a chance.
