SALT LAKE CITY — The implosion of tax reform — built into Gov. Gary Herbert’s budget recommendations for 2021 — means his funding requests are in limbo, including the $100 million ask to help fix the state’s air pollution problems.
As the session unfolds in the coming weeks, lawmakers will be in rebuild mode when it comes to finding funding sources for different programs, and it will depend on what priorities they settle on, including how they decide to pay for higher education.
That decision could ultimately put other spending, like air quality fixes, in question.
“I think the governor’s budget was put out there presupposing tax reform would stay in place. That did not happen,” said Rep. Steve Handy, R-Layton, and a co-chairman of the Legislature’s Clean Air Caucus. “There’s a lot of smart people trying to figure out which way to go.”
Herbert wanted $66 million in one-time money for extending the electric vehicle infrastructure to regions beyond the Wasatch Front, including northeastern Utah, central and southern Utah and national parks. That money would help ease “range” anxiety motorists have over how many miles they can travel before their vehicle needs a charge, and if there will be a charging station available.
Fixing that would accelerate the adoption rate of alternative-fuel vehicles, which represent less than 1% of all registered vehicles in the state, according to Utah State Tax Commission spokeswoman Tammy Kikuchi. There are 55,225 such vehicles in the state, she said, noting the number is growing.
The governor also wanted $34 million in ongoing money to boost transit options, making it easier for residents to get from place to place without turning the key on their personal vehicle.
But like every legislative session, the state’s budget is a work in progress and a question mark that isn’t erased until the final hours of the final night — 45 days in — and this year is no different.
However, blowing up tax reform changes the potential funding components of Herbert’s budget, casting an extra layer of unanswered questions as lawmakers begin crafting spending priorities. The blueprint remains intact, and they can adhere to his priorities, but will they?
Having a record year
Last year, like this year, Herbert asked for $100 million to combat the state’s pollution woes, which often put Utah among the worst of the worst when it comes to days that exceed federal clean air standards for pollutants like ozone and PM2.5.
Just this week, an analysis of pollution data by Environment America showed that 10 areas in Utah had at least 100 days of compromised air quality in 2018 when pollution hit “moderate” levels.
In 2018, Utah lawmakers failed to pony up the full $100 million for air pollution problems, but they did agree to spend $29 million to tackle the issue — a record amount.
“Last year, the appropriation was like ‘Do with it what you want’ compared to this year where there are specific spending targets,” said Grace Olscamp, with the grassroots advocacy organization HEAL Utah. “In Utah, I do think you have to be very careful about being prescriptive, but these requests are still very broad.”
HEAL Utah and other organizations are pushing strongly for the full appropriation Herbert requested, believing it is on target with residents’ priorities: cleaner air and improved transportation alternatives.
“These are two things that people definitely prioritize in Utah that really help our air quality here,” Olscamp said. “It is up to the Legislature to make it happen.”
Beyond the chunk of money, there are a number of legislative proposals aimed at reducing emissions.
Olscamp said advocates are keeping an eye on HB176 sponsored by Rep. Jeffrey D. Stenquist, R-Draper, that provides incentives for motorists whose vehicles fail emission testing, and another planned measure that encourages new developments in energy storage technologies.
Advocates want the state Legislature to take the recommendations from the Utah Road Map released earlier this year by the Kem C. Gardner Institute at the University of Utah and endorse them via a resolution by Rep. Joel Briscoe, D-Salt Lake City.
Olscamp said policymakers need to take the fruit of that study on critical air pollution fixes and move forward with implementation.
“We need to make sure we hold ourselves accountable.”
Handy wants the state to develop an “air quality” license plate with dedicated funds going to UCAIR to promote ways to reduce pollution. He also is developing legislation authorizing a study looking at the number of heavy-duty non-road vehicles, like those in construction, across the state.
“We need to get a handle on what is out there. We just don’t know,” Handy said.
Both Handy and Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Millcreek, another co-chair of the Clean Air Caucus, are promoting measures to boost energy efficiency in homes and other buildings.
Using less energy is a way to reduce one’s carbon footprint and shave emissions.
“We know that area sources (buildings and homes) will become the primary source of pollution,” Arent said, outpacing tailpipes at some point as vehicles become cleaner.
Her proposal is to create a two-year pilot program for homeowners to voluntarily participate in and get an energy score to show to potential buyers. That score could boost the home’s marketability
“The exciting thing is people are out looking for this information,” said Josh Craft, government relations manager for Utah Clean Energy.
While such information exists for some new home construction, Craft said that isn’t the case for existing homes.
“This follows the momentum of where the market is going,” he said.
Utah Clean Energy also wants Rocky Mountain Power to ramp up its percentage of energy it derives from zero emission resources such as hydropower, renewables or nuclear energy. Other states in the West have utility companies that have committed to be carbon free by 2040, he added.
Rocky Mountain Power spokesman Spencer Hall said the utility company is diversifying its portfolio to reflect customer desires.
“Our trend is to decarbonize. If our customers tell us what they want, we help them get there,” Hall said.
Like other groups, Rocky Mountain Power is remaining optimistic about Herbert’s budget recommendations even in the face of uncertainty.
Utah has already established itself as one of the West’s front-runners in electrification of transportation, Hall said, and he doesn’t see that slowing down.
“It is a huge priority for the governor, a huge priority for us and a huge priority for our partners,” Hall said. “One thing that unites Utahns is clean air and transportation. Electrifying our transportation grid affects those two problems that impact Utahns.”