Shane Levy - shane.levy@sierraclub.org, 201-679-9507
Moab, Utah – Moab, Utah became the 23rd community in the United States to commit to 100 percent clean, renewable energy on Tuesday. The Moab City Council unanimously approved a resolution establishing a community-wide goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2032. Moab is the third city in Utah to make this commitment following similar pledges from Salt Lake City and Park City, showing that mountain and outdoor sports communities are leading the way to a clean energy future.
“For Moab, one of the world’s great outdoor recreation destinations, the implications of climate change could not be more troubling. Rising temperatures, reduced water availability, economic instability, and other impacts threaten our residents and greatly limit activity that fuels our city’s economy. It is an imperative that Moab takes steps to protect our community while expanding the horizons for the local economy. Today, we are taking bold and meaningful action to confront these threats by doubling down on 100% clean and renewable energy and shifting away from fossil fuels,” said Moab City Council Member Kalen Jones
Mountain and recreation-based communities feeling the impacts of a changing climate are recognizing the power of clean energy to solve it and taking the lead in a growing movement.
“Our mountain and outdoor recreation communities worldwide are recognizing that we are at the forefront of the fight against the climate crisis,” said Kim Stevens, senior field organizer with The Climate Reality Project’s I AM PRO SNOW program. “Today, Moab joins the growing movement of communities with the I AM PRO SNOW 100% Committed campaign, committing to clean electricity and sending a message to the rest of the world that we are in charge of our electricity future.”
Utah is celebrated for its iconic national parks stunning visual scenery, and world-class recreational areas. Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion national parks are an economic engine for the state’s economy and local recreation businesses that rely on the protection of these wild places. In 2014, more than 10 million visitors from around the world visited Utah’s national parks and added $730 million dollars to Utah’s economy. The tourism industry supports about 132,000 jobs, or about one out of every ten jobs in the state. Moab, as a gateway community to Canyonlands national park, relies heavily on tourism as part of the local economy.
Rocky Mountain Power’s Hunter and Huntington plants are responsible for nearly 40 percent of all nitrogen oxide emissions from Utah's electric sector, according to EPA emissions data. Monitoring studies have shown visibility at Arches and Canyonlands national parks, just on the outskirts of Moab, is diminished by human-caused haze 83 percent of the time relative to the annual average level of natural haze.
"Our new president may be a denier of the science behind climate change, but we who live in Moab know better. We are grateful that by transitioning to 100% clean and renewable energy, our community is not only protecting the health and well-being of its residents, but also ensuring that a livable environment will be part of its future," said Marc Thomas, Moab resident and Utah Sierra Club Chapter Chair.