May 29, 2026 Kearns City Council Special Meeting

The Kearns City Council held a special meeting on May 29, 2026, to discuss the community clean energy program, specifically reconsidering their previous vote on ordinance 2026-004-19 related to participation in the Utah Renewable Communities Agency (URC). Representatives from Salt Lake City's Sustainability Department provided detailed explanations about the program's structure, funding, and governance, emphasizing that the program is additive to existing Rocky Mountain Power services and funded by participating customers through a $4 monthly fee for residents and a small per-kilowatt charge for businesses. The council members raised concerns about financial benefits, program transparency, opt-in versus opt-out enrollment, and the impact on local businesses. It was clarified that Kearns had already contributed over $20,000 toward program development costs, primarily for legal and energy expert services. After extensive discussion and questions, the council voted to uphold their previous decision to opt out of the program. No new contracts or procurement awards were made during this meeting, but the discussion centered on the financial and policy implications of the community clean energy program for future procurement and energy sourcing decisions.