An architect and University of Utah instructor is taking an interesting approach to studying green building. Jörg Rügemer is not only funding the construction of a three-bedroom, energy-efficient home in Park City dubbed the 125 Haus, he and his family plan to move in when its finished this fall.
The University of Utah is being recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Green Power Challenge” for purchasing the third-largest amount of green electricity of all the colleges and universities in the competition. That amounts to more than 85 million kilowatt-hours, or an estimated 31 percent of the university’s total power consumption.
The new Utah Museum of Natural History set to open this fall will not only be a place to view many of the state’s artifacts, but also somewhere to learn about Utah’s cutting-edge advancements in energy efficiency. KCPW’s Jessica Gail got a sneak preview of the museum Wednesday, and the systems in place that museum leaders say will save tens of thousands of dollars each year in energy costs.
While Utah leaders frequently emphasize the importance of fossil fuels to the state’s economy, a new study by a nonpartisan research group finds mining jobs account for only one percent of total employment in the state. That’s the lowest of the five western states that were examined in the report, which also looked at Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and New Mexico.
Utahns who think they can’t afford an energy-efficient home should think again. That’s one of the main themes of this year’s Utah Renewable Energy Conference today at the Salt Palace. Levi Belnap with the Utah Solar Energy Association says he’s committed to making renewable and cleaner energy available to everyone, because he knows people are on a budget.
Governor Gary Herbert is trying to stay one step ahead of rising energy costs. Last week, he unveiled a 10-year energy plan that focuses on continuing to expand traditional fossil fuels and renewable resources. But as KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports, the Governor was also not shy about his plans to continue to discuss a nuclear power plant coming to Utah.
A number of businesses, Salt Lake City and the University of Utah have been awarded about $500,000 in grants and loans from the Utah Division of Air Quality to increase the use of natural gas in transportation. Lisa Burr, Senior Research Analyst for the division, says the money comes from a clean fuels grant and loan program funded by a petroleum settlement the state won years ago. Several types of energy qualify for the program, but Burr says natural gas is wildly popular in the state.
For the past three years, a Utah company has been working to bring a nuclear power plant to the state. Now, after a massive earthquake in Japan caused severe damage to a plant in that country, some Utahns are questioning whether the proposal is a good idea in such an earthquake prone region. But as KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports, the company’s CEO is confident about its project.
While clean energy technology can revolutionize the nation’s power supply and economy, exactly where that power is developed is key to preventing the problem of energy sprawl. That will be the message presented Wednesday night by Jonathan Hoekstra, Senior Scientist with The Nature Conservancy, as part of the Utah Museum of Natural History’s 2011 Nature of Things Lecture Series.
After two years of delays, Tim DeChristopher was just convicted on two federal charges for disrupting an oil and gas lease auction in December, 2008. We talked with Ashley Anderson, who co-founded the group Peaceful Uprising with Dechristopher after his actions.
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