In a first, Utah got more power from solar than any other source
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- Solar power generated nearly 1 terawatt hour in Utah in May 2026 — roughly 32% of the state's electricity — edging out natural gas (32%) and coal (28%) for the first time, according to Ember data.
- Coal generated between 64% and 78% of Utah's electricity in 2017 depending on the month; by spring 2026 it had fallen to less than a third, reflecting a steady multi-year decline.
- Large solar farms including the 2,500-acre Green River Energy Center (400 MW solar + 400 MW battery storage), Excelsior Energy Capital's 685 MW Faraday Solar project serving a Meta data center, and the 80 MW Elektron Solar Project have driven the recent surge in capacity.
- Utah's solar industry supports nearly 8,000 jobs across 132 companies, with investors committing $1.5 billion to the state's solar market in 2025 alone — compared to 1,291 jobs in oil and gas extraction and 1,059 in coal mining.
- Wind power surpassed all sources in PacifiCorp's portfolio across Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho in December and January for the first time, bolstered by 400 MW of new turbines at the Rock Creek II facility in Wyoming.
- PacifiCorp scrapped plans to build more wind and solar projects over the next two decades in its latest Integrated Resource Plan update, citing federal policy shifts including the Trump administration's phase-out of renewable tax incentives.
Why it matters: Utah's solar milestone is the result of multi-year private investment — $1.5 billion in 2025 alone and 8,000 jobs — but the state's largest utility, PacifiCorp, is now pulling back on new renewable projects because the Trump administration is phasing out wind and solar tax credits, putting the state's continued growth at odds with federal policy direction.
