Utah companies leading local renewable energy effort

Utah companies leading local renewable energy effort


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The last few decades of human development have brought with them a sobering reality: in the quest for an ever-higher quality of life, humankind is crippling the planet. Environmentalists and politicians have pointed to global warming, and a continent-sized hole in the ozone layer, as proof that current modes of life are unsustainable.

Of all the materials people consume, most experts agree that fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, and natural gas) are the most environmentally damaging. As the world’s biggest consumer of fossil fuels, the United States not only leaves a massive carbon footprint, but also exposes itself to reliance on unstable foreign suppliers, such as Venezuela and Iran.

The Obama Administration recently highlighted this issue, stating: “(It is) clear that the way Americans produce and consume energy is not sustainable. Our addiction to foreign oil and fossil fuels puts our economy, our national security and our environment at risk. The president is working with Congress to pass comprehensive energy…legislation to protect our nation from the serious economic and strategic risks associated with our reliance on foreign oil, to create jobs and to cut down on the carbon pollution that contributes to the destabilizing effects of climate change.”

A crucial part of the cure for America’s fossil fuel “addiction” is the development of alternative energy sources. In contrast to limited coal and oil resources, clean, or “green,” energy sources (such as geothermal, solar, and wind energy) are unlimited and renewable.

Not only does clean energy make sense for the planet, it also has the potential to bolster the national economy. In a 2010 speech, President Obama promised that “the transition to clean energy has the potential to grow our economy and create millions of jobs, but only if we accelerate that transition. Only if we seize the moment. And only if we rally together and act as one nation — workers and entrepreneurs; scientists and citizens; the public and private sectors."

Here is a close-up look at three Utah companies that are seizing the moment and accelerating the state’s transition to renewable energy sources:

Utah companies leading local renewable energy effort

1. Renewable Energy Development Corporation: South Jordan-based REDCO is a “developer, owner and operator of renewable energy projects with a focus on solar and wind energy development.”Founded in 2008 by BYU alumnus Ryan Davies, the company now boasts 12 employees and has offices in New Jersey and Las Vegas. REDCO holds over 45,000 acres of land and three million square feet of rooftop space in 11 states that will house its solar and wind projects over the coming years.

Although it does work with some small-scale clients, the bulk of REDCO’s time is spent servicing large utilities or institutions like universities and established businesses who are looking to cut their energy bills and garner some positive PR for “going green.” Philadelphia apparel conglomerate Urban Outfitters and Ohio-based commercial service provider Cintas are clients, as are three Oregon universities, including Oregon State University. The firm’s biggest project is a 38-turbine, 60 MW wind farm about to start construction 30 miles south of Boise, Idaho.

Despite its wide geographic range (future project locations include Ontario, Canada, and Tahiti), REDCO maintains a local focus: the company, along with construction partner Okland Construction, is on the shortlist for the University of Utah’s proposed rooftop solar project atop its brand new Natural History Museum. REDCO also serves as a consultant to Zions Bank’s alternative energy division.

Utah companies leading local renewable energy effort

2. Wasatch Wind: Founded in Park City in 2002, Wasatch Wind is Utah’s longest-lived renewable energy company. It is also responsible for the state’s most visible renewable energy project with nine 260-feet tall wind turbines at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. According to the company’s site construction manager, one turbine alone at full strength can power up to 1,200 homes. However, wind energy is by nature unreliable. The turbines can only generate power when the wind is blowing.As successful as the Spanish Fork wind farm has been, the vision of founder and CEO Tracy Livingston extends beyond a few profitable wind turbines. He hopes that “decades from now our employees will be able to proudly proclaim to their children how we made a positive, lasting and substantial contribution … (to) the American way of life.”

Wasatch Wind is currently working on a second major project that will be built on 15,000 acres in eastern Wyoming’s Converse County. With a total of 62 turbines planned for installation, this project, called Pioneer Wind Park, would be significantly larger than Wasatch’s Spanish Fork endeavor. Wasatch hopes to have at least half of the turbines up and operational by the end of the year.

Utah companies leading local renewable energy effort

3. Raser Technologies: Headquartered in Provo, Raser was originally founded in 2002 as “a technology company seeking to improve the efficiency of electric motors, generators and alternators.”For years the company developed technologies for the Extended Range Vehicles market, including a 100-mpg electric Hummer, before deciding to enter the renewable energy industry. In 2008, after discovering the nation’s largest geothermal resource in 25 years, Raser completed construction on Utah’s second geothermal plant. Named after Utah’s famous senator, the Orrin G. Hatch Plant is located in Beaver County. Raser has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with the city of Anaheim, Calif., where it ships most of the energy the plant produces. Drilling is currently underway for a second geothermal plant in southwestern New Mexico that would provide power for Phoenix.

Despite Raser’s past successes, the company’s future is uncertain. In April of this year, Raser began a company restructuring by filing under the Chapter 11 U.S. Bankruptcy Code. CEO Nick Goodman has promised that “throughout the reorganization process, we will be conducting ‘business as usual,’” but shareholders have shown signs of alarm. Raser has been a publicly traded company since 2003.

Additional players:

WhiteHorse Energy: Founded by former congressional candidate Tim Bridgewater in early 2011, WhiteHorse is currently pursuing a number of small-scale projects in the Hawaiian Islands. The company is headquartered in Orem.

7Revolutions: Research and development specialists, Salt Lake-based 7Revolutions has partnered with the University of Utah since 2009 to develop cutting-edge geothermal, solar thermal and solar cell technology.

Rocky Mountain Power: Although not a developer, Rocky Mountain Power owns and operates the Blundell Plant, Utah’s oldest and most productive geothermal energy producer. Rocky Mountain’s parent company Pacificorp is the second-largest wind turbine owner in the nation.

California native Chris Robinson recently returned from an LDS mission to Seoul, Korea, and is currently pursuing a degree in English at BYU.

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