It may get more expensive for Utah residents to run their air conditioners to cool off from the warm summer temperatures this year.
According to a report by the Energy Information Administration, an energy production research group, the average United States resident is projected to spend 4.8 percent more money this summer for electricity compared to last year. This is due to 2.6 percent more energy usage and a 2.1 percent increase in price.
Brydon Ross, state affairs vice president for Consumer Energy Alliance, a non-partisan energy production interest group, said energy prices will rise partly because of regulations the Environmental Protection Agency is enforcing.
Ross said the regulations are expected to take up to 50,000 megawatts of coal off the grid.
“If you’re taking that much power off the grid, you have to replace it with something,” Ross said. “And oftentimes that means more expensive source of energy, and also brand new units have to come online either gas or other renewables.”
Jeffrey Barrett, deputy director of Utah's Governor's Office of Energy Development, said environmental regulations may cause coal power plants to close down early, resulting in higher energy prices. This recently happened in Carbon County.
Barrett said when this happens, people end up having to pay the difference.
“For the same generation, the same amount of electricity, you’re paying for the costs of two facilities: one that’s not operating and one that is, plus the cost of fuel,” Barret said.
Ross said some ways consumers can reduce electric bills include opening the window when it is nice outside instead of keeping the air conditioner on and unplugging electronics when they don’t need to be charged.
Ross also suggests looking at incentive programs utility companies might offer.