Gas-powered kitchens have long been considered the gold-standard of high-end cooking, but they come at a serious cost: methane emissions, a powerful driver of climate change. Which is why Utah Clean Energy is helping chart a better path for fine dining in Salt Lake City – going electric.
At the Commercial Developer Sustainability Summit in May, Chef Christopher A. Galarza, a nationally recognized leader in sustainable hospitality, showed that exceptional cuisine is possible with readily available, emission-free electric cooking equipment. Hosted by Utah Clean Energy, in partnership with the Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency, the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, and Rocky Mountain Power Wattsmart Business Program, the Summit: From Gas to Grid: The Commercial Kitchen Transition challenged the outdated assumption that professional kitchens need gas to succeed.
The invite-only summit brought together developers, architects, restaurant leaders, and real estate professionals to understand how commercial kitchens can evolve in a decarbonizing world. Galarza showed attendees how induction cooking is reshaping kitchen performance. Through live demonstrations and hands-on training, he showed that chefs can achieve remarkable precision, consistency, and speed while cutting emissions and improving indoor air quality and the experience of commercial kitchen staff. The result is a rare opportunity to raise culinary standards while also creating healthier, cleaner kitchens.
What emerged was clear: shifting to electric kitchens does not require sacrificing creativity, quality, or guest experience. Instead, it opens the door to innovation, resilience, and a more sustainable future for the food industry.
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.