Environment

Air Quality: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: Staff

Air quality was ranked as important in the 2024 Utah Priorities Survey. Those most concerned about air quality were higher-income voters, voters with graduate degrees, and liberal voters. A 2023 statewide poll identified that close to 60% of respondents support strengthening environmental regulations in the U.S., and over 75% indicated that protecting the environment should be more important than economic growth. However, many Utah Priorities Project survey respondents expressed an unwillingness to improve air quality … Continued

Having Enough Water: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: Staff

Having enough water was important to voters in the 2024 Utah Priorities Project. Survey respondents across various demographic groups felt very similarly about this issue. Most of the open-ended comments focused on ensuring that Utah has enough water, particularly in light of the state’s rapid population growth. Three current issues regarding water are the efforts to encourage less residential outdoor water use, legislation that incentivizes agricultural efficiency, and updates to the Colorado River interim guidelines. … Continued

Priced Out and Fed Up: Cost of Living and Government Dysfunction are Voters’ Top Issues

Written by: Christopher Collard

Each November, Utahns have a chance to shape government to fit their needs. Ideally, the voters’ voices serve as a compass to correct the course of government and shape society. However, information gaps can preclude an ideal outcome. First, politicians and policymakers need to understand Utahns’ priorities. Second, voters need relevant background on the issues that matter most. The Utah Foundation’s Utah Priority Project seeks to fill those information gaps and provide that background. Priced … Continued

Flowing in the Desert: A Primer on Utah Water Law

Written by: Shawn Teigen

Utah is one of the driest states in the nation. Making sure the state manages water well is essential to its rapid population growth and economic expansion. This report, Flowing in the Desert: A Primer on Utah Water Law, focuses on providing a background of Utah’s water law. A basic understanding of water law is essential for any policy discussion about water. Water law provides the foundation upon which the rest of Utah’s water policy … Continued

Flowing into the Desert: A Background on Water in Utah

Written by: Christopher Collard

The wet winter of 2022-2023 provided a reprieve to Utah’s water crisis that has been building in recent years, as characterized by falling levels of the Great Salt Lake and Lake Powell. That does not mean that Utah’s water problems have come to an end. Utah ranks among both the nation’s driest and fastest growing states. This means that approaches to water governance ensuring the sufficiency of affordable and high-quality water are a major concern. … Continued

To a Higher Standard: Building Codes, Improved Efficiency and Air Quality in Utah

Written by: Shawn Teigen

Utah has kept up to date on commercial building code standards, but it has maintained older residential building standards that fall short of more efficient building practices. To a Higher Standard: Building Codes, Improved Efficiency and Air Quality in Utah explores possible new standards with an eye toward air quality, examining costs and benefits. Would you like a quicker review of the report? Read the executive summary.   KEY FINDINGS OF THIS REPORT Driven by … Continued

Plugging Into the Future of Electricity: The Economic Impacts of the IPP Renewed Project

Written by: Christopher Collard

Having provided coal-generated electricity since the mid-1980s, the Intermountain Power Agency (IPA) has decided to build a combined-cycle gas power plant by 2025 to replace the coal-fueled generators. The plan, known as IPP Renewed, will include a turbine that runs on a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen, with 30% hydrogen at start-up, transitioning to 100% hydrogen by 2045. Plugging into the Future of Electricity explores the IPP Renewed endeavor and its economic impact to … Continued

Going for the Green: How Utah Can Thrive in the New Climate Economy

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The “New Climate Economy” is an effort to tie economic strength to actions intended to reduce the impacts of climate change. Such efforts are taking place around the world. In the U.S., innovations and other measures from corporations, along with new policies and investments from the federal government, provide states with a range of opportunities to capitalize on the transition to an economy that prioritizes climate-focused strategies. This report, Going for the Green: How Utah … Continued

Utah Rising – Initiatives for a Broad & Rapid Economic Revival

Written by: Staff

At the onset of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and resultant economic downturn, the Utah Foundation worked with the Finance Committee of the Utah Economic Response Task Force to brainstorm and develop ideas with the potential to aid the economic rebound of the state. This menu of ideas includes some ideas that are well-developed and others in preliminary stages. Some are short-term approaches while others look further onto the horizon. While many of the ideas require … Continued

Driving Toward a Cleaner Future: Alternative Fuel Vehicles in Utah

Written by: Shawn Teigen

Driving Toward a Cleaner Future: Alternative Fuel Vehicles in Utah examines the incentives and disincentives around electric cars, as well as the policy decisions around preparation for a wide proliferation of electric vehicles in the future. It also examines the incentives and requirements around public and private heavy-duty fleet vehicles.   Key Findings of this Report Electric vehicles – or battery electric cars and plug-in hybrids – accounted for less than 2% of the nation’s new … Continued