Governor's Report Tackles Climate Change

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) Utah's is only going to get hotter and drier, according to a climate change report now on Governor Huntsman's desk. The report offers 70 suggestions to reduce Utah's overall impact on global warming.

One key recommendation is to begin capturing carbon dioxide emitted from coal-fired power plants and storing it deep underground, says Huntsman's Energy Policy Advisor Dianne Nielson:

"Those technologies will cost more, but we know if we're going to make a dent in terms of reducing greenhouse gases that Utah and other states that are dependent on coal-fired generation, it's going to be a major improvement," says Nielson. "And it's one that we're all working on right now."

Nielson says the Governor is committed to funding cleaner coal-fired power options. The majority of Utah's carbon emissions come from energy production, according to the final report of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Advisory Council on Climate Change.

In the near-term, Nielson says the Governor will use the report to propose initiatives during the coming legislative session that will encourage Utah citizens and businesses to be more energy efficient at home and on the road.

Read the full report.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW