When Midvale cast its unanimous vote on Tuesday, June 2, the Utah Renewable Communities program crossed a finish line more than a decade in the making—and opened a door that had been firmly closed to everyday Utahns for years. Sixteen cities and counties across the state had formally adopted the groundbreaking initiative, becoming the first communities in America to offer residents a genuine choice in where their electricity comes from, backed by a commitment to net-100% renewable energy on Rocky Mountain Power's grid.
This matters because energy choice has long been the missing piece in Utah's climate puzzle. For years, residents had no say over whether their power came from coal, natural gas, or the sun and wind. The Utah Renewable Communities program changes that. The collaborators behind it—a coalition that includes Utah Clean Energy, Climate Utah, and organizations ranging from the Sierra Club to Latter-day Saint Earth Stewardship—spent a decade pushing for this moment, starting with initial negotiations with the utility in 2016, passing bipartisan authorization legislation in 2019, and weathering countless rounds of public hearings and city council votes.
The 16 participating communities tell a story of broad geographic support: Alta, Emigration Canyon, Midvale, Oakley, Salt Lake City, Summit County (unincorporated), the Town of Castle Valley, Francis City, Holladay, Millcreek, Ogden, Salt Lake County (unincorporated), Grand County (unincorporated), Moab City, Park City, and Springdale Town. Week after week, residents showed up at local meetings to advocate for themselves. Their voices mattered. The program's structure reflects what they were asking for: affordability, simplicity, and genuine choice.
For residential customers, the cost is flat: $4.00 per month, with no charge for qualifying low-income households. The program defaults customers in, making participation effortless, but crucially preserves the right to opt out. Rocky Mountain Power will begin sending notices to customers near the end of 2026, explaining the program and their options. It is a design that respects both ambition and autonomy.
Beyond the price tag lies the deeper significance. Renewable energy projects anchored in Utah support local jobs, tax revenue for the state, and cleaner air—a tangible payoff for communities tired of the air quality impacts that come with fossil fuel dependence. As Carmen Valdez, Senior Policy Associate at HEAL Utah, put it: "Sixteen cities have stepped up to invest in their communities and provide Utah families with real choice."
What makes this program unprecedented is not just its scope but its timing. Energy demand is rising, fossil fuel markets remain volatile, and utilities across the country are still resisting renewable options. Yet these sixteen Utah communities have shown that clean energy solutions exist now, can be deployed faster than traditional infrastructure, and work economically. They are not waiting for perfect conditions or federal mandates. They are choosing differently, and in doing so, they are charting a path for hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses to follow.
The Utah Renewable Communities program will be the biggest decarbonization opportunity this decade for the state. Whether it catalyzes similar programs elsewhere remains to be seen. But for now, the message from Utah's communities is clear: when given the chance, they will choose clean energy. The question is no longer whether that's possible. It's how fast the rest of the country will catch up.