A recent legislative audit found the Utah Office of Energy Development to be lacking in many departments — that needs to change.
In addition to administrative issues, the office was found to have completed little to no planning for predicting how Utah’s energy sources could affect the state economy. It is important to note that many other states have modeling systems for these issues, whereas Utah does not. The U.S. Energy Information Administration states that 9 out of 10 households in Utah are heated by natural gas, a higher proportion than any other state. It is crucial that the state office, which oversees the development of the resource which heats approximately 90% of Utahns’ homes, is modernized and working toward a better future for Utahns statewide. We need to ensure that the Office of Energy Development has the resources it needs to protect and cultivate our state’s energy systems.
Kobe Jeppesen
Salt Lake City