Utah Clean Energy’s utility experts are leading the charge toward a pollution‑free energy future. When our organization launched in 2001, Utah had virtually no renewable energy on the grid and relied on coal for roughly 95% of its electricity. Today, our leadership in complex utility dockets and energy policy has helped bring new solar, wind, geothermal, and energy‑storage solutions to the state, while empowering thousands of Utahns to adopt rooftop solar for their homes and businesses. The highlights below offer just a glimpse into Utah’s energy transformation, and Utah Clean Energy’s role in driving it. These are a collection of some of “the firsts” where Utah Clean Energy pioneered solutions that sprouted much more progress that followed. They represent only a smattering of the countless wins and milestones achieved so far, and the momentum ahead is even brighter.
Following key wins in the utility-regulatory arena where Utah Clean Energy ensured renewable energy developers got a fair price for their projects, Utah was finally able to capitalize on our amazing renewable energy resources with industry investing billions in new utility-scale solar, wind, and battery projects. Utah now produces enough renewable energy to power over one million homes. And this is just the beginning!
Utah Clean Energy’s founder and CEO, Sarah Wright, at one of the first wind farms in the area.
Kevin Emerson, Director of Building Efficiency and Decarbonization, speaks at a Wind Power Campaign media event at the University of Utah.
One of our first community projects was the Wind Powering Campaign with The University of Utah. This student-led initiative negotiated to purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to help power the U’s community. This initiative spurred the market for wind energy, aiming to transition the campus toward sustainable power.
Back in the day, when there was next to zero renewable energy on the grid, voluntary purchases were the name of the game if you wanted to accelerate clean energy. Utah Clean Energy partnered with the EPA to develop a new program to recognize communities committed to renewable energy. After a friendly competition between Moab and Park City in 2004, Moab emerged as the first EPA Green Powered Community in the nation followed shortly thereafter by Park City. This elevated renewable energy as a viable way to power entire communities
Tour of the solar installation on the roof of the Salt Palace Convention Center. Completed in May 2012, it was one of the nation’s largest rooftop solar projects at that time.
In the early 2000s, Salt Lake City’s involvement with the Million Solar Roofs Initiative was a catalyst for the city’s clean energy goals. Utah Clean Energy’s team worked side-by-side with the SLC team to make solar more accessible and affordable for all. Combined with other key wins for Power Purchase Agreements, residential and commercial rooftop solar projects began popping up across the City from businesses and homes taking the plunge and going solar.
Pro-solar policies passed by Utah Clean Energy created a solar renaissance in Utah! Utah went from an “F” to an “A” grade in a national solar report card after we streamlined interconnection and improved “net-metering” to give solar owners a one-to-one credit on their electricity bill for the solar they sent to the grid. This made going solar easier and more economical for Utah families, which resulted in rooftop solar in Utah DOUBLING every year between 2007 – 2016.
Solar installers on a residential project.
The Utah Clean Energy team join partners at the ribbon cutting for the Spanish Fork Wind Farm
Through Utah Clean Energy’s policy and utility regulatory work, we helped open the door to utility scale renewable energy projects. As a result, Wasatch Wind built the Spanish Fork Wind Farm. This was Utah’s first utility-scale wind project, and still delivers clean power to homes while generating new revenue for local schools.
Fun fact, in 2013 Utah Clean Energy leveraged a law passed by President Carter to open the door to utility scale solar for Utahns. Now, as of February 2026, there are dozens of solar farms operating in Utah! One of these projects, Elektron Solar, located in Tooele provides pollution-free energy to Summit County, Salt Lake City, Park City, Park City Mountain, Deer Valley Ski Resort and Utah Valley University!
The Utah Clean Energy team attend the opening ceremony for the Elektron Solar project
Rooftop solar installation made possible through one of several Community Solar programs led by Utah Clean Energy
We jump-started rooftop solar through five different Community Solar initiatives that made going solar simple and streamlined! We utilized the power of bulk purchase to reduce costs, and our experts provided would-be solar owners with information on the dos and don’ts of going solar. Our Community Solar initiatives ultimately helped over 1,000 Utah homes go solar.
Several small business owners in Salt Lake City’s Westside installed rooftop solar through the Salt Lake City Solar Powered Communities Project. Utah Clean Energy’s solar experts collaborated with each participant to help them take the necessary steps to go solar. The inspiring stories of Rico Brands, Salt Lake Barber Co & Culture Coffee, and M&K Automotive each shared their solar stories to help other local businesses take the solar leap.
Business as usual at SLC Barber Company, one of the first participants of the SLC Solar Powered Communities Project
Milford Wind Corridor located in Beaver and Millard counties.
In December 2025, wind power generation surpassed coal in PacifiCorp’s (Rocky Mountain Power’s parent company) monthly generation for the first time. Thanks to new transmission lines and a major Wyoming wind facility coming online last year, we’re building serious momentum for a clean energy future. This is just another example that combining wind, solar, geothermal, and storage are the most cost-effective way to reliably meet growing energy demand.
In 2025, Utah became the first state in the nation to legalize plug-in solar. This simple, low-cost technology enables many more people to use the sun to generate some of their electricity. Utah Clean Energy is excited to help move this technology into the mainstream.
Innovative new geothermal technology is offering around-the-clock, pollution-free power. Fervo Energy’s Cape Station project is slated to start bringing power to the grid in 2026. Utah Clean Energy is seizing this opportunity to accelerate the deployment of this transformative technology by mobilizing policymakers, investors, and the public around geothermal, elevating the opportunity for a scalable, viable replacement for fossil fuels. 
 When Utah Clean Energy began in 2001, 95% of our energy came from coal. Fast forward to today, and thanks to Utah Clean Energy’s tireless advocacy that # is down to 48%, and Utah’s energy mix is a diverse combination that includes solar, wind, geothermal, and storage. And we are far from done! Renewables are now the most affordable and most available source of electricity, which makes renewables the obvious choice for new electricity resources heading into the future.
NOTICE: WEÂ ARE NOT A SOLAR COMPANY
We would like to clarify that Utah Clean Energy is not a solar company. We are a nonprofit organization that advocates for solar and other clean energy technologies, but we do not install or sell solar in any way.The Utah Clean Energy team