Tag Archive for: renewable energy

 

UGS_PRESS-RELEASE-HEADER

Media Contacts
Utah Geological Survey
Mark Milligan
801-537-3326
MarkMilligan@utah.gov

Utah Geological Survey
Michael D. Vanden Berg, P.G.
801-538-5419
MichaelVandenBerg@utah.gov

Utah’s Energy Landscape – 4th Edition

Energy is one of Utah’s four cornerstones for success, and the development of clean, secure, low-cost energy is one of the Governor’s top priorities.  Energy use and development is a topic of great interest to many Utah residents.  Energy is vital to our modern way of life, and energy education is required before citizens can engage in thoughtful dialogue.  The Utah Geological Survey’s (UGS) newly updated Utah’s Energy Landscape is a booklet designed to assist Utah residents and others on becoming more familiar with Utah’s diverse energy portfolio.

Two recent events have dominated Utah’s energy scene in the past few years: 1) the collapse of crude oil prices due to a worldwide oversupply, and 2) the exponential increase in both utility-scale and residential PV (photovoltaic) solar capacity. First, Utah’s crude oil price dropped from a high of about $100 per barrel in the summer of 2014 to a low of about $30 in late 2015, with prices dipping to $20 a barrel in early 2016.  Consequently, the number of drilling rigs in Utah decreased from about 23 in late 2014, down to 3 rigs in late 2015, and finally down to zero in early March 2016.  Since new oil wells are not being drilled to make up for production declines at existing wells, crude oil production in the state decreased nearly 10% in 2015 and is projected to continue to decline as long as prices remain low and rigs remain idled.  Similarly, natural gas prices (down 43%) and production (down 7%) have also decreased due to oversupply from the country’s prolific shale reservoirs.  Second, in 2015, 166 MW of new utility-scale solar capacity was installed in southwestern Utah and nearly 680 MW is currently under construction or in development.  By 2017, nearly 850 MW of new solar capacity will be online, more than wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass combined.  This surge in solar was also seen in the residential sector; the total number of renewable energy tax credits filed in Utah has grown exponentially in the past 6 years, from only 153 in 2009 to 3,061 in 2015, of which 94% were for residential PV.

The state of Utah is fortunate to have abundant and diverse energy resources including large reserves of conventional fossil fuels, several areas suitable for renewable resource development, and vast quantities of untapped unconventional oil shale and oil sands resources.  This publication, now in its fourth edition, provides balanced facts on each resource, including maps, graphs, helpful explanations, and photographs.  For those interested in obtaining the numbers behind the graphs, each page includes a reference to available historical data located on the UGS’s Utah Energy and Mineral Statistics website.

Printed versions of this publication are available for free at the Natural Resources Map & Bookstore located at 1594 West North Temple, Salt Lake City (801-537-3320, or 1-888-UTAHMAP; geostore@utah.gov) and also at the Governor’s Office of Energy Development (OED).  The publication will also be available at the OED booth at the Governor’s Utah Energy Development Summit on May 24-25, 2016.  The report can also be downloaded from the UGS website at http://ugspub.nr.utah.gov/publications/circular/c-121.pdf.

The Utah Geological Survey provides timely scientific information about Utah’s geologic environment, resources and hazards.

C-121 Utah's Energy Landscape 2016


Cruide-Oil
Utah’s crude oil wellhead price hit an all-time, inflation-adjusted high of $95.31 per barrel in 2008. After a recession-related drop in 2009 and 2010, prices rebounded back into the low-$80s between 2011 and 2014 before plunging 49% to $40.69 per barrel in 2015. The value of Utah’s crude oil reached a peak of $3.2 billion in 2014 as a result of high prices and near record production, but retreated to $1.5 billion in 2015.


Cruide-Oil2
Due to low prices, no drill rigs were operating in Utah in early March 2016, a situation not seen in the last 50 years (2 rigs were running in April 2016). The previous low was 1 rig running for one week in March 1987. As recently as May 2012, Utah had 42 operating rigs and 22 in September of 2014.

The recent reduction was almost exclusively rigs drilling for crude oil.


Renewable
The number of renewable energy tax credits processed by the State of Utah has increased exponentially in the past few years, from 153 tax credits processed in 2009 to 3,174 tax credits processed in 2015. The vast majority of these tax credits (94% in 2015) are for residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Also of note, the average size (capacity) of residential solar PV systems has nearly doubled in the past 5 years from 3.3 kW in 2010 to 6.4 kW in 2015. It is thought that this increase is due to decreasing installation and equipment costs as well as a shift towards the desire to cover nearly 100% of a household’s electricity usage. Total solar capacity for the commercial and residential sector in Utah is estimated at about 55 M


solar_3-2015
As of April 2016, 166 MW of new solar generating capacity has come online in southwestern Utah. In addition, approximately 600 MW of capacity are currently under construction and roughly 80 MW of capacity are under development and should be completed by the end of the year. By 2017, Utah’s utility-scale solar capacity will total 847 MW, more than wind, geothermal, biomass, and hydroelectric combined.

 

theprairiestar.com

The Idaho Geological Survey, based at the University of Idaho, is excited to be part of the National Geothermal Data System, which formally launched April 30 and was announced nationwide Friday.

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Did you know that Utah Has been a net exporter of energy since 1980? That Utah has the second-lowest price for home heating via natural gas production in 2008 reached an all time high of $2.7 billion?

These are just a few of the facts detailed in a new publication, “Utah’s Energy Landscape,” from the Utah Geological Survey. Michael Vanden Berg, project geologist, said the 41-pages publication provides details bars, graphs, and breakdowns of Utah’s energy resources and is the result of months of comprehensive data gathering.

“This is the first time we’ve put all of this information together in one sources,” he said. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for quite a while.”

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GET IT HERE

Salt Lake Tribune

Utahns who want to tap the sun and wind for energy might be eligible for cash rebates of up to nearly $5,000.

The money — which Utahns now can apply for — would come from the state’s share of the federal stimulus aimed at renewable energy.

It would be available to households, small businesses and nonprofit groups that install solar photovoltaic, solar thermal or wind-energy systems, Chris Tallackson, incentives coordinator for the Utah Geological Survey’s State Energy Program, said Monday.

“This program will stimulate employment in grid-tied renewable-energy construction,” he said, “and increase distributed renewable-energy capacity.”

Rebates also will be available for energy-efficient appliances purchased and installed starting May 12.
Reports from the East Coast said that states began offering the rebates at the end of last week, but by Monday they were all taken. That’s because those states allowed residents to reserve the rebates before they actually bought the appliances or installed the systems, Tallackson said.

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*Notes:

1. Renewable energy rebate maximums are as follows:
__ _ ___ _ ____ _ Residential      Commercial
Solar Photovoltaic      $8,750             $50,000
Solar Thermal             $2,500             $10,000
Wind                             $4,800             $4,800

2. Appliance rebate
Applications for rebates will be mailed-in by the consumer after purchasing an eligible appliance. There will not be a reservation process for appliance rebates. Rebates will be paid on a first received, first processed basis until funds are exhausted.

IN THE MEDIA

Sunpluggers.com
ABC4.com
KCPW.org

thespectrum.com

The Utah State Energy Program is launching a renewable energy incentive program focused on residential and small commercial markets.

The Renewable Energy Rebate Program, funded by $3 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, comes online in April and rebates residents for solar photovoltaics, solar thermal systems and wind turbines. Residential properties could get $2 per watt for solar panels, with a maximum rebate of $8,750, while commercial properties could receive up to $50,000.

FOR MORE INFO

Deseret News

The 2010 Utah Renewable Energy Conference will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 27, at the Salt Lake Community College Miller Campus.

Hosted by the Utah Solar Energy Association, the event will feature details about a new Utah State Energy Program rebate for home and business owners; local clean energy companies; and experts in solar, wind and energy-efficiency technologies.

The cost is $5 for individuals and $10 for families or groups of two to five people. Attendees will receive $100 off a solar energy system from installers participating in the conference.

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RELATED LINKS

Details and registration

Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. (Synapse) was contracted by several Utah State agencies, including the Utah State Energy Program, the Division of Public Utilities, the Division of Air Quality, the Committee of Consumer Services, and the Governor’s Energy Advisor, to develop and apply methods of calculating water and health co-benefits of displacing electricity generation technologies in Utah with new energy efficiency or renewable energy.

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View entire report

Utah has been awarded $14.1 million today, toward an eventual sum of $35 million. “Utah is one of 10 states to receive millions of dollars for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Recovery Act,” said Jason Berry, manager of the Utah State Energy Program.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced more than $204 million in Recovery Act funding. In order to be eligible for funding from DOE’S State Energy Program (SEP), states must have proposed statewide plans that prioritize energy savings, create or retain jobs, increase the use of renewable energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This initiative is part of the Obama Administration’s national strategy to support job growth, while making an historic down payment on clean energy and conservation.

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Related Link

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Package)