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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah, identified four years ago by the U.S. Department of the Interior as one of six states in the country with prime solar potential, is riding a boom of new utility-scale developments harnessing the energy of the sun.
Nearly 680 megawatts is in development in central and southern Utah, and by next year, nearly 850 megawatts of new solar capacity is due to come online — more than wind, hydroelectric, geothermal and biomass combined.
“It’s pretty exciting to see,” said Jeffrey Barrett, deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Energy Development.
The latest Energy Landscape publication put out by the Utah Geological Survey provides a detailed look at energy trends in the state, noting the collapse of crude oil prices that occurred in 2015, along with the exponential increase in utility-scale and residential solar capacity.
Barrett said inked contracts between Rocky Mountain Power and solar developers are helping to facilitate the onset of new projects that have been or are in construction in high-quality solar zones in central and southern Utah.
“The stars aligned in a lot of ways when all these contracts were signed,” he said, adding that the region has some of the best solar values in the country identified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
The rise of rooftop solar in Utah is even more meteoric.
The survey notes that the total number of renewable energy tax credits processed in Utah rose from 153 in 2009 to 3,061 in 2015 — with 94 percent of those for residential photovoltaic systems.
Sarah Wright, executive director of Utah Clean Energy, said the numbers are encouraging and show Utah is getting on the nation's solar map.
“Utah is finally tapping into our abundant renewable energy potential. This means new jobs, economic growth, and a healthier, cleaner Utah,” she said. "Customers increasingly want choice for their energy supply. … Prices have come down, so even if the payback is not immediate, it is a viable choice for consumers."
The agency also found that the size of rooftop systems has nearly doubled in the past five years, jumping from a capacity of 3.3 kilowatt-hours to 6.4 kilowatt-hours, reflecting decreases in equipment and installation costs as well as customers aiming to generate as much of the household's electricity usage as possible. Total solar capacity for the commercial and residential sectors in Utah is estimated at 55 megawatts.
The rampant growth in solar development in Utah means the industry is taking off as well, with 2,679 workers employed at 930 institutions throughout the state, according to The Solar Foundation. In its census report looking at Utah-specific numbers, the foundation noted the state ranks No. 10 in the country for solar jobs per capita and expects a nearly 25 percent growth rate in this employment category for 2016, compared with 1.9 percent for the state as a whole.
Auric, Utah's largest solar provider, grew from a three-owner operation launched in a South Jordan garage in 2010 to a firm that now has close to 160 employees.
Bobby Gibson, Auric's marketing manager, said the company has done hundreds and hundreds of rooftop solar installations, and this past year expanded to do commercial jobs for companies such as Rio Tinto and Rocky Mountain Recycling.
While most of the business efforts in the first few years focused on educating Utah residents about the benefits of solar, Gibson said that has changed — and more and more people are looking to permanently eliminate their monthly electric bill.
"It's not just for people who are environmentally savvy or rich," he said.
