As the Deseret News reported (“Senate Republicans watch carefully to ensure green energy tax credits survive Trump’s latest order,” 7/9/25), federal rollbacks are threatening hard-won clean energy progress. Utahns must act — now.
The reconciliation bill didn’t just shift priorities — it gutted the most effective climate policies we’ve ever had. Tax credits that helped my family and others to install heat pumps and weatherize homes and businesses to cut energy costs are disappearing. These weren’t luxuries — they were game-changers that made Americans feel like they could be part of the solution.
Now, that progress is slipping away. Quietly. No headlines. Just backroom deals and budget cuts unraveling our momentum while the planet burns.
This is a climate emergency. And many in Washington are backing away.
Utah must respond with urgency. We can’t just wait for federal leadership. We must defend what remains of clean energy credits, and push our state, counties and cities to step up — fast. Local policies on electrification, energy efficiency and clean transit matter more than ever.
The stakes? Our air. Our health. Our economy. Our kids’ future. With fires raging, lakes vanishing, and insurance premiums spiking, delay is not just irresponsible — it’s dangerous.
We must be more determined than the budget hawks, and more visionary than those who pretend tomorrow will take care of itself.
Because it won’t. We will.
Karen Jackson
Salt Lake City