Energy

SB 135 amends Utah's energy development laws to establish a formal process for nuclear fuel recycling facility planning. It authorizes the Office of Energy Development to coordinate with private companies and local communities on facility development, and the Utah Energy Council to provide strategic guidance and preliminary assessments. The bill requires both agencies to include annual reports on their nuclear fuel recycling activities in their existing annual reports. These changes directly affect state energy agencies, private entities seeking to develop nuclear recycling facilities, and local communities near proposed sites. The bill makes no funding changes and focuses on procedural coordination rather than altering facility operations or environmental standards.

HB 185 establishes new rules and funds for carbon credit transactions in Utah. It creates a Carbon Credit Investment Fund funded by a 19% assessment on carbon credit sales (administered by the State Tax Commission) and a Carbon Credit Litigation Fund. The bill requires carbon credit brokers to hold licenses, imposes criminal penalties for unlicensed sales, and gives the Office of Energy Development a right of first refusal to purchase in-state carbon credits. State agencies must report carbon credit details and deposit sale revenue into the General Fund, while 5% of the Investment Fund’s annual earnings go to rural counties and eligible rural colleges meeting specific enrollment and completion rate criteria.

HB 78 creates a new Nuclear Energy Regulatory Office within Utah's Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control to oversee state-level nuclear energy regulation. It directly affects nuclear facilities and operators in Utah by establishing state authority for licensing and oversight of nuclear fuel cycle activities like fuel fabrication, storage, and waste management - previously managed federally. Key provisions include granting the division rulemaking power for safety and environmental standards, authorizing fees to cover regulatory costs, and directing efforts to expand Utah's "Agreement State" status with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The bill reorganizes existing regulatory structures without new funding, focusing on coordinating state and federal oversight of nuclear energy operations.

SCR 4 is a Utah concurrent resolution supporting the state's effort to formalize a cooperative agreement (MOA) with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to streamline permitting for oil, gas, and mining operations on BLM lands. It urges the Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining to negotiate an MOA that would allow the state to review technical aspects of permit applications - like drilling plans - while ensuring the BLM retains final decision-making authority. The resolution aims to reduce permitting delays and save BLM staff time by leveraging Utah’s local expertise in geology and resource management. This affects oil, gas, and mining operators seeking permits on federal lands, as well as Utah’s state agencies and the BLM.

HB 157 amends various Utah laws related to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). It changes how the DNR handles employee work periods, allows water rights records to be kept electronically or physically, and adjusts rules for water rights after contract issues. The bill removes a cap on low-interest loans for water metering, ends the Alternative Energy Development Tax Credit Act, and repeals funding rules for a watershed program. It appropriates $5 million from the General Fund for DNR operations in fiscal year 2027. The changes primarily affect DNR staff, water rights holders, and entities managing water resources in Utah.