Energy
Powering Eagle Mountain
Energy Affects Life in Eagle Mountain
Having plenty of electricity is essential to daily life. It powers our homes, supports local jobs, and keeps our city running smoothly. Right now, we have enough energy to support our growing neighborhoods and businesses. But increasing local energy production could make our power supply more reliable, bring new jobs and businesses to the area, and help fund important infrastructure projects.
How Power Generation Impacts You and Your Family
Eagle Mountain City is working to make sure we have safe, reliable energy now and for the future. That means encouraging private companies to invest in different kinds of energy projects right here in our community. When we succeed, it brings big benefits:
- More job opportunities across a variety of industries
- Continued support for our growing data center community
- A better chance of bringing higher education programs to the area, especially those that prepare people for careers in energy and other industries
Overlay Zone
Proposed Code Coming Soon
Eagle Mountain City is updating its rules to make it easier to plan and build energy projects the right way. One of the big changes is the creation of an Alternative Energy Overlay Zone: a special area where energy projects can be built with clear guidelines. This helps energy companies know what to expect and gives the City tools to protect residents and plan smart as we grow.
Understanding the Municipal Energy Tax
The Municipal Energy Tax (MET) is becoming a more important part of how the City funds essential services now and into the future. a 6% tax on electricity use, which is the same one you pay on your home’s power bill. Businesses pay it too, but because they use more energy, they pay a lot more. For energy-heavy businesses like data centers, this adds up to millions of dollars of City revenue each year. This tax helps the City fund important projects like new roads, parks, public services, and other community improvements.
Gigawatts Demand
Electrical Demand in Eagle Mountain, to support planned and anticipated industrial development bringing hundreds of jobs.
Tax on energy
For all users. This includes those who both produce and consume electricity.
annual MET from 1 Datacenter project
A single datacenter project could generate millions annually for Eagle Mountain.
Sales Tax Revenue Increase
Generating Municipal Energy Tax from one datacenter could significantly expand Eagle Mountain’s revenue.
Energy Types
Natural Gas
Natural gas provides a reliable and efficient energy source, ensuring stable power generation while emitting very little greenhouse gases. Its flexibility supports the integration of renewable energy by providing backup power during peak demand.
Quick Facts:
- Types: Simple Cycle, Combined Cycle, Reciprocating, Fuel Cell
- Size of Facility: 2-50 Acres
- Range of Power Output: 50 Mw to 4 Gw
- Regulated and Approved By: Federal (DOE, FERC, EPA, PHMSA), State (Public Service Commission, Utah DEQ), City.
Battery Storage Solar
Battery storage paired with solar energy allows for the capture and use of clean power even when the sun isn’t shining, increasing grid reliability. This technology reduces reliance on fossil fuels and enhances energy independence for communities.
Quick Facts:
- Types: Solar Panels: Photovoltaic and Concentrated Solar Power. Energy Storage: Battery (multiple types) and flywheel.
- Size of Facility: 100 acres to thousands of acres (for utility scale)
- Range of Power Output: 1 Mw to 1+ Gw (depending on available land)
- Regulated and Approved By: Federal (FERC, EPA, DOE, etc.), State (Public Service Commission, DEQ, etc.), City or County.
Geothermal
Geothermal energy offers a constant and renewable power source by harnessing heat from the earth’s core, providing 24/7 electricity generation. It has a small environmental footprint and supports long-term energy stability with minimal emissions.
Quick Facts
- Types: Dry Steam, Flash Steam, Binary, Double Flash, Enhanced, Low-Temp/Co-Produced
- Size of Facility: 1-8 acres per Mw
- Range of Power Output: 40 Kw – 1.5 Gw
- Regulated and Approved By: Federal (DOE, FERC, EPA, etc.), State (Utah DEQ, Public Service Commission, etc.), City.
Small Modular Reactors
Small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) provide a compact, scalable, and highly efficient energy solution with zero carbon emissions. Their advanced safety features and ability to operate independently make them a promising option for sustainable, long-term power generation.
Quick Facts
- Types: Light Water Reactors (Large and Small), Small Modular Reactors (Various cooling types including molten salts, water, etc.), Micro-reactors (xMRs)
- Size of Facility: Light water reactors can be quite large, small modular reactors vary, anywhere from 10-20 acres up to 100+ depending on the project need. Micro-reactors fit on a semi-truck trailer.
- Range of Power Output: 1 Mw – 3+ Gw (varies based on type and if more than one constructed and tied together)
- Regulated and Approved By: Federal (NRC, FERC, EPA, DOE), State (Public Service Commission, etc.), City.
Other Energy Types
You may ask yourself why we haven’t talked much about other clean energy types like Wind and Hydroelectric? The only reason these don’t get talked about much is they simply aren’t viable solutions for our area.
Wind
Although we know we can get some significant periods of winds, Utah is not nearly windy enough to provide consistent power through wind. Additionally, wind turbines produce a very small amount of electricity compared to other power generation types, meaning we’d need dozens of wind turbines to equal that of other types. Finally, they can be hazardous to avian wildlife which Eagle Mountain takes great care to protect.
Hydroelectric
Hydroelectric power is a great source of clean energy in the right setting. It works by using the flow of water through dams to generate electricity. However, in Utah, and especially in Eagle Mountain and along the Wasatch Front, we don’t have the consistent water flow needed to support this kind of system.
Some recent innovations such as in-pipe micro-hydroelectric technologies using excess water pressure have been trialed in places like Hillsboro, OR and prove somewhat promising. However, the amount of power from these sources is minimal.
Energy and Datacenter Development
We don’t have to look far to see how this kind of planning can pay off. Loudoun County, Virginia has welcomed data centers and other big businesses over the years, and now they’re seeing the benefits. Thanks to the tax revenue these companies bring in, the county can cover most of its basic budget needs. That means they can either lower taxes for residents or invest more in things people care about, like parks, roads, and community services.
Department Contact
If you have questions or concerns about the future of energy management in Eagle Mountain, please reach out to Economic Development Director Evan Berrett.
Safe Energy, Safe Community
Eagle Mountain is laying the groundwork now to guide future energy projects in the right direction. With clear guidelines in place, we can welcome smart energy development while still protecting what makes our community special. This approach helps make sure that any new energy projects match our long-term goals. It’s part of our commitment to supporting local jobs and building a future that works for everyone.
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Eagle Mountain City takes water conservation very seriously, and has made it clear to current and future developers that we will not recklessly provide water. Eagle Mountain’s data center projects either won’t use water for cooling or offset their use through investments into water sourcing. Modern power generation facilities such as nuclear molten salt small modular reactors do not use water for cooling. We are confident we can attract development of high-quality and safe energy generation facilities that use little to no water.
Power generation facilities are among the most regulated and tested in the world. They go through rigorous design reviews and tests to ensure natural disasters do not compromise them. Their safety standards greatly exceed that of other structures and there are redundancies and other safeguards in place.
Air quality is very important to us all in Northern and Central Utah. The Cedar Valley is a special place that we don’t want to see diminished through poor management of air quality. Eagle Mountain City will carefully evaluate any possible air quality effects before approving any projects. Utah County is within the EPA non-attainment zone, which means we already can’t add any additional pollutants. So, if a project could possibly add pollutants, they first need to remove pollution somewhere else. The Utah DEQ regulates air quality in the state and has the ability to prevent a project from moving forward if it doesn’t meet air quality standards.
Currently, the only energy projects that have been proposed in Eagle Mountain are on-site natural gas energy generation projects as part of datacenter developments and solar projects with battery backups south of Eagle Mountain city limits. Besides these, no other projects are currently proposed or in review.
Eagle Mountain City officials are only seeking to attract private development/investment of energy generation projects. The City would not contribute tax dollars to aid in the development of power generation projects. Projects that would go into development would be required to have a development agreement that includes protections for Eagle Mountain City and its residents.
Our community is anticipating development of a handful of datacenter projects, but the state’s limitations on power generation is already apparent after only seeing one project underway. Consequently, if Eagle Mountain wants to attract further industrial development, especially those that bring numerous jobs, abundant and rapid delivery of energy will be critical.