By Julie Johansen
Carbon/Emery County Economic Development Group met on July 16 in the Emery Telcom Board Room in Orangeville. The purpose of this meeting was to coordinate and prioritize efforts to develop the economy of the area.
The transition of the San Rafael Energy Research Center from local to state management was discussed. The process is stalled until the appointment of a new Director of the Governor’s Office of Energy Development. With the Supreme Court ruling on the Chevron Doctrine, which curtails the power of government agencies, Laren Huntsman and Brock Johansen discussed the implications that the ruling could have in regard to carbon sequestration and even the power plants in the future.
Nothing is certain, but it could mean that the life of the power plants could be extended because of the restrictions of the CO2 rulings. It will certainly lower the cost of power production for PacifiCorp and mean more stability for plant life. A possible change in the federal administration could also affect these situations.
With the transition of IPP in Delta from coal to hydrogen and natural gas power, a tour of Delta was considered. This tour would analyze the impact of the plant’s conversion on the company, employees and the community as a whole. A date was discussed and decided that September would be the best time for those wanting to visit the plant. The date set was September 24.
Johansen had outlined 12 points as priorities for the group from earlier meetings this year. These points included prolonging the life of the Hunter and Huntington Power Plants with carbon capture and sequestrations projects. This would require the state of Utah to secure primacy over Class VI permit regulation, which is already in the process. This is especially relevant to this area because of our geological formations. The next point was how to continue base load energy production if and when the Coal plants are closed.
The continuation of coal mining in the area was also discussed, along with other uses for coal, such as coal gasification, carbon fiber, coal to hydrogen and how the Utah San Rafael Energy Research Center could assist in this area. A look at manufacturing and production was next on the list. This considered the business park on Ridge Road in Carbon County. How to obtain the infrastructure for these types of economic developments, water power, gas, etc. was a question of Commissioner Larry Jensen from Carbon County.
Also on the list was the increase of educational training opportunities through expansion of USU Eastern’s vocational and technology programs. Along with the need for low elevation reservoirs in Carbon and Emery Town. Helping to move the Uintah Basin rail system along was also considered, as well as the brine wells in the Green River area. The last two points considered were to promote agriculture and leverage fiber to the home networks for teleworking at home.
