Utah has a unique ability to rapidly and affordably expand its use of renewable energy.

As the Tribune has reported in multiple stories this year, Rocky Mountain Power and Utah politicians have been working aggressively to keep the coal-fired plants in operation beyond planned closure dates over the next five years. Previous plans called for ending the use of coal as a fuel for generating electricity by the end of 2030. In addition, the utility recently announced plans to raise rates by 30% over 18 months.

Utah has a unique asset that could help accelerate, not slow, the transition to renewable energy while lowering energy costs. The state has a large number of churches that are located in one of the best places in the world under the sun.

Utah’s religious leaders generally recognize a responsibility to care for the Earth and the people who inhabit it, including those living in low-income countries who suffer the most from the current and growing impacts of climate change. Religious leaders who are not excited about climate solutions find passion in serving the world’s poor.

As the Tribune reported at the time, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began building solar-powered meetinghouses in 2010. Other denominations have done so as well, including St. Thomas More Catholic Parish in Cottonwood Heights, which added panels in 2014. Still, most church buildings in Utah do not; many of the solar incentives did not apply to nonprofits.

Leaders in the legislature, public service commissions and municipalities should work with Rocky Mountain Power and dozens of other energy providers to encourage church-owned buildings to use their roofs to generate excess solar power, combined with battery storage to effectively extend sunlight into the evening. Industrial electricity users could be key players in the complex algebra of agreeing to buy power from churches.

Ultimately, serious collaboration could quickly deploy solar panels to churches. With the right incentives for churches, the scale of solar power production could reach thousands of megawatts—a significant fraction of the 4,591 mW of coal-fired power plants.

We note that the comparison is nominal, given that the sun does not shine 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, as a power plant can generate energy. Despite this reality, these religious roofs may be the key to accelerating, not slowing, Utah’s transition away from coal. Church roofs have the potential to generate several terawatt-hours per year, making a huge contribution to replacing coal.

Churches don’t have to pay for solar panels off their balance sheets—nor do utilities. With incentives for churches from the state or existing energy producers, the energy savings and revenue from excess production at churches (many of which sit idle several days a week) could provide the cash flow to justify financing the installations. Almost by definition, every chapel is affiliated with a congregation, which usually includes members who can help with financing. Companies like CollectiveSun, Climatize, and Raise Green specialize in helping crowds finance climate solutions.

By investing the time necessary to thoughtfully collaborate, faith leaders, utilities, and policymakers have an opportunity to create shared economic value that has the potential to help curb rising energy costs while significantly reducing Utah’s carbon emissions.

Jeb McCandless is a Utah resident who has lived in a 1985 passive solar home for 37 years and installed solar panels in 2017.

Devin Thorpe is an author, television producer, and entertainment host who ran for Congress in Utah’s 3rd District in 2020 on a platform that prioritized climate solutions.

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