Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Utah ranks third for most affordable in U.S. household energy costs, spending $1,896.10 per household.
- A proposed 18.1% rate increase by Rocky Mountain Power may affect Utah's ranking.
- Gov. Spencer Cox proposes $24.7 million for energy development, including nuclear and geothermal projects.
SALT LAKE CITY — Using data from the United States Energy Information Administration, a new analysis looked at what state households spend the most and least on energy costs.
Utah came in at No. 3 for being the most affordable, behind Washington and Oregon.
The study, conducted by an Arkansas company called Anderson Air, found Utah has a state residential energy expenditure of $1,896.10 per household, and a grid efficiency of 66.8%.
Washington has the nation's lowest energy expenditure per household and spent $5.8 billion to fund its total residential energy in 2022. This amounted to $1,890.60 per household in residential energy expenditure in the state. Washington has a state grid efficiency of 82.2%.
Behind Washington is Oregon with a residential energy expenditure at $1,895.90 per household. The state has an 82.3% grid efficiency and spent $3.4 billion in total on residential energy in 2022.
Utah's standing may change, however.
Rocky Mountain Power is proposing an 18.1% increase this year in the amount it collects through its Energy Balancing Account, which is a line item on ratepayers' bills. The proposed increase will be reviewed and decided by the Utah Public Service Commission.
Which states ranked the least affordable?
New Hampshire spends the most on energy in America. The state spends $4,294.50 per household on energy costs and has a grid efficiency of 68.9%.
Connecticut came in second, spending $6 billion to fund its total residential energy costs, which works out to $4,170.50 per household.
In third place is Maine with a state household energy expenditure of $3,966.40, and a grid efficiency of 83.7%.
Other states with high energy costs per household include Vermont and Massachusetts.
Jon Anderson, general manager at Anderson Air, had this to say about the study:
"Our findings highlight the significant disparities in energy expenditure across the United States. Washington stands out as a prime example of how effective energy management and investment in infrastructure can lead to lower costs for households while maximizing grid efficiency," he said.
"This underscores the importance of adopting best practices in energy consumption to save costs and promote sustainable practices nationwide."
The United States Energy Information Administration provides large data sets relating to energy consumption and expenditure at a state level, with the most recent data set being 2022. This data was analyzed and normalized against the 2022 U.S. household per state data to provide per household figures for energy expenditure and consumption in each state.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and legislative leadership have made energy development a priority this coming session.
In comments to the Deseret News Cox emphasized:
"The cost of energy is a tax on everyone. If your power bill goes up, it doesn't matter if you're on fixed income. It doesn't matter if you're single, married, 20 kids, one kid, no kids. It's a tax on everybody. It's a tax on our most vulnerable."
To that end, he is proposing an infusion of $24.7 million to support Operation Gigawatt, with $4.3 million to tap geothermal development and $20.4 million to foster the state's plans for nuclear energy deployment. Operation Gigawatt proposes to double energy production Utah in 10 years.
