2026 Utah Legislative Session: Week 7 Update

We are in the final week of the legislative session. The priority this week is a bill we oppose, SB 234-Rulemaking Amendments, that would make it harder to adopt rules that would protect public health and safety. We are also following several important energy bills including HB514 S1-Utah Energy Council Amendments, a “big” bill that would create a new entity to finance large-scale electricity infrastructure.  

You can see all the bills we are tracking on our 2026 Legislative Tracker here. 

OPPOSE: SB 234 2^nd Substitute-Rulemaking Amendments by Sen. Brady Brammer and Rep. Colin Jack 

• The bill would prevent Utah environmental and public health agencies from adopting any rules or regulations that would be stronger than existing federal rules. This includes our key health agencies like the Division of Air Quality and the Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control. 

• It is important at a time when federal agencies are pulling back on federal rules for regulating air pollution and the state is attempting to bring new nuclear-related industries to the state that Utah agencies retain the flexibility to adopt rules that protect our citizens.   

Other Priority Bills

• HB 323-Solar Panel Disposal Amendments 2^nd Substitute, Rep. Colin Jack (Neutral on 2^nd substitute) The solar industry, the Department of Environmental Quality and others worked with Representative Jack to forge a compromise on a bill dealing with future solar panel waste that is workable and reasonable. It would require a process to study options to promote future solar panel recycling and appropriate disposal at the end of life of solar panels. We appreciate DEQ and both small and large-scale solar industry stakeholders for their meaningful engagement on this bill. We expect that this one will pass.

• Appropriations Request for On-Bill Repayment Study, Rep. Clint Okerlund: We are pleased that our $60,000 request for a study of on-bill repayment as a tool to facilitate energy efficiency upgrades by residents and businesses. Unfortunately, the study was not prioritized in the first round of Executive Appropriations Committee funding. We hope that we can get it prioritized when the final appropriations bill comes out on Thursday.

• HB 549-Energy Efficiency Rebate Amendments 1^st substitute, Rep. David Shallenberger: The bill would now require Rocky Mountain Power and Enbridge to share information about their energy efficiency programs with the Office of Energy Development. We are okay with this version of the bill.

• HB 514-Utah Energy Council Amendments 1^st substitute, Rep. Neil Walter/Senator Ann Millner: This is the “big” energy bill that the Legislature is working before the close of session. This bill modifies the Utah Energy Council membership to add 2 members to be determined by the Governor and the Legislature. It would also create a new Energy Infrastructure Service District authority that would have the ability to use revenue bonds to finance the acquisition, maintenance, and development of electricity facilities in the state. The likely use of this authority would be to attempt to find a buyer and operator of the existing Intermountain Power Plant coal units, which we see as risky. The district’s authority would not supersede or interfere with the powers of existing electric and gas utilities in the state of Utah until Title 54. We are concerned that this bill does not have sufficient protections for Utah taxpayers for the potential decommissioning costs related to the end of life of the existing coal units. We are told that this is underway right now.

• HB 481-Transportation Modification 2^nd substitute, Rep. Kay Christofferson/Sen Wayne Harper: This bill would, among other things, increase the fixed fee for electric vehicles not participating in the Road Usage Chare (RUC) program to $280 from $180 in 2028 and the road usage program per mile charge to 1.5 cents/mile. We thank Senator Karen Kwan and Senator Kathleen Riebe for moving an amendment in committee to delay the increase in the RUC fee for one year. We will monitor this bill as it gets to the Senate floor.

• HB 263-Heavy Duty Trucking Amendments, Rep. Tyler Clancy: This bill would place a modest registration fee on heavy duty trucks that are older than 2009 and weigh more than 14,000 pounds. We support this bill. It is circled on Senate 2^nd reading, awaiting a final vote.