Utah has a desert climate—it’s generally open, dry and sunny, especially in the south. So it should be a natural spot for developing renewable energy sources like solar and wind, right?

In short: yes. But the renewable energy industry faces many challenges that have slowed progress to a snail’s pace.

In fact, 98 percent of the energy produced in Utah comes from fossil fuels: coal, natural gas and
crude oil. A scant 2 percent comes from renewable sources like hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, solar and biomass projects.

One significant project, a solar installation on the roof of the Salt Palace Convention Center, illustrates the limits of renewable energy. When the installation is completed, solar panels will cover 600,000 square feet—larger than six football fields—and it will be among the largest rooftop solar arrays in the country. The project will generate 2.6 megawatts of energy, which sounds like a lot, but it is barely enough to account for 25 percent of the Salt Palace’s energy use.

Full article from Utah Business