Summit County advocate urges support for renewable energy program

Andy Beerman is pressing Park City, Coalville, Oakley, Francis and Summit County to back Utah Renewable Communities, because the next local votes will decide whether Rocky Mountain Power customers in those places can be offered a default net-100% renewable electricity option by 2030.

The program, also known as the Community Renewable Energy Agency or the Community Clean Energy Program, grew out of Utah legislation passed in 2019 and was built through negotiations with Rocky Mountain Power. State materials describe it as a unique Utah pathway for residents and businesses in eligible Rocky Mountain Power-served communities to choose net-100% renewable electrical energy, while also avoiding any shift of costs or benefits onto customers who do not participate.

That structure matters in Summit County, where the effort has been part of a broader regional push for years. Local coverage has identified Park City, Coalville, Oakley, Francis and unincorporated Summit County as participants or potential participants, and state documents have listed the coalition as 18 communities in one 2025 update and later as 19 cities and counties. Park City, Coalville City, Oakley City, Francis City and Summit County all appear in the agreement documents tied to the program.

The regulatory framework also moved forward in 2025. Utah Public Service Commission docket 24-035-55 shows that commissioners granted Rocky Mountain Power’s application and motion on May 13, 2025, approving the utility’s solicitation process for the Community Renewable Energy Program. That ruling marked a key step toward building the power supply needed before participating communities can offer the renewable option to homes and businesses.

For Summit County households, the biggest immediate benefit could be access. A Park Record story on April 15, 2026 noted that renters could gain from the program because they cannot install solar panels themselves. Supporters also point to residents who want renewable energy but do not have suitable roofs, enough money for an upfront solar installation, or the ability to control their own electric service.

The local stakes go beyond billing choices. Summit County has already pursued sustainability goals through projects such as local solar generation, and backers say joining Utah Renewable Communities would reinforce that work while fitting the area’s tourism and environmental brand. In practical terms, support from the county and city councils would put Park City, Coalville, Oakley, Francis and unincorporated Summit County on track for a default renewable power option by 2030. Inaction would leave those communities outside the coalition and delay access to a program designed to expand choice without saddling nonparticipants with the cost.