Energy Tour of Utah

May 5, 2014

On April 15 and 16, the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce organized a tour for my staff of various energy facilities across the state.  The following is a list of the facilities that were visited:

Intermountain Power Plant (Delta, UT) - Intermountain Power Plant in Delta, Utah is a large coal-fire power plant with an installed capacity of 1,900 MW. This plant, owned by Intermountain Power Agency and operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, generates power for thousands of homes in California and is transmitted there by way of the HVDC Intermountain transmission line. While the generated power ultimately leaves Utah, Intermountain Power Plant provides a very healthy property tax base for Millard County. A member of my staff enjoyed a toured the facility on Tuesday, April 15 with various energy industry leaders, government officials, and interested citizens.

intermountain power

First Wind Wind Farm (Milford, UT) - First Wind, a renewable energy company based in Massachusetts, has invested millions of dollars into Millard and Beaver counties by building 165 wind turbines with a combined maximum capacity of 306 MW. The project was completed in two phases; the first phase in 2009 and the second phase in 2011. To get the power to First Wind's customers in California, the company built an 88-mile transmission line and connected it to the already-existing Intermountain transmission line. A member of my staff visited this wind farm to learn more about this project and it's positive impact on the Milford City.

windfarm

Beaver City Hydro Power Plant (Beaver, UT) - On Wednesday, April 16, a member of my staff visited and toured two of Beaver City's three Hydro Power Plant locations just east of the city. The first location became operational in 1904 after Beaver City residents approved a $10,000 bond to build the plant. The second location began generating power in 1942 and the third power plant was added in 1992. The three stations combined produce approximately 9,200,000 KWH per year. It is refreshing to see a great self-sustaining rural Utah community. Well done, Beaver City!

beaver hydro


Cove Fort Geothermal Power Plant (Millard County, UT) - Cove Fort Geothermal Power Plant, owned by Enel Green Power North America, was constructed with a total investment of $126 million and opened in October 2013. Located in Beaver County, Utah, this geothermal plant is expected to produce up to 160 GWH of power per year. A member of my staff toured the exterior as well as the interior of the newly-built plant on Wednesday, April 16.

geothermal

It is clear from the reports from my staff who participated in these visits, that Utah is home to a diverse range of energy resources and a home to many innovators and risk-takers.  It is for this reason that I introduced the Energy Freedom and Prosperity Act to eliminate all energy subsidies from the federal government while also lowering the overall corporate tax rate.  Instead of relying on a system where Washington chooses an industry's winners and losers, we should be protecting a free enterprise system where success is measured by the extent to which a product meets the demands of consumers.  This the best way to ensure that we are all winners.

Utah Public Land Summit

Apr 25, 2014

On Friday, April 18, I joined a group of lawmakers and policy makers from eight Western states in a summit to build support for the transfer of federal land back to the states.  After attending the summit it is clear that momentum is building for public land transfer across the West, and I will continue to work to educate Americans across the country about the burdens of excessive federal land ownership.  Here are some social media highlights of the summit:
Post by Yvette Herrell.

Meeting with Utah's Business Leaders to End our Opportunity Crisis

Apr 25, 2014

This week I was able to meet with the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Governors for the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce.

I posted this picture to my Facebook page, and an interesting discussion followed:

Post by United States Senator Mike Lee.
If you read through the comments, you will see that many of my followers were concerned that the unemployment figures that were cited were inacurrate.  I recognize that on a national level many Americans are struggling to find work, and when you calculate the low percentage of Americans that are participating in the workforce, it is clear that there is widespread failure in our economy to create the opportunities that many Americans are looking for.  This opportunity crisis is one of the primary reasons why I have introduced my conservative reform agenda.  One of the reasons why I am confident that these proposals will work is that they return much of the responsibility of governing away from Washington and back to state and local governments.  Utah is outperforming the nation in many key areas when it comes to addressing our opportunity crisis, and I would like to see this success replicated across the country.

Meeting with Utah's Students

Apr 22, 2014

For the last ten days, I have been actively traveling around the state meeting with Utahns.  I held two town hall meetings last week.  I have also met with business leaders, local officials, and various civil institutions.  In addition to this active schedule, I also had the chance to meet with students at Ogden High School, Brighton High School, and Salt Lake Community College.  Here are some highlights from these visits:

Meeting with students in Ogden

Post by United States Senator Mike Lee.

Meeting with students at Brighton High School

Today I taught the Brighton High School U.S. Government class. A student asked why I don't vote with my party 100% of the time. It was nice to see that they are paying attention to the voting records of their elected officials.

Meeting with Salt Lake Community College

I enjoyed participating in the "Pizza and Politics" event at Salt Lake Community College today. I also appreciate those who participated in our discussion on higher-education reform.

The U.S. Government teachers at Brighton High School

brighton teachers

Support Growing for Criminal Justice Reform: My Visit with Sheriff Winder

Apr 22, 2014

Today I had the opportunity to meet with Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder.  Among the several things we discussed, I wanted to make sure he was aware of my efforts to reform our criminal justice system with the Smarter Sentencing Act.  He was supportive of my efforts, and I am committed to passing these reforms out of the Senate:

Post by United States Senator Mike Lee.
If you want to learn more about why criminal justice reform is overdue, a new article in The American Conservative outlines the bipartisan consensus that is building to pass these reforms: http://www.theamericanconservative.com/conservative-sentencing-reform-politically-savvy-morally-right/

Recap of Mobile Office Visit to Sanpete County

Apr 11, 2014

ON April 10 my mobile office visited Nephi, Gunnison and Mt. Pleasant.  During these visits members of my staff met with local residents and city officials to open a dialogue about the issues that are most important to them.  Several law enforcement officials shared their concerns about tensions that exist between local law enforcement officials and federal law enforcment officials from agencies such as ICE and the BLM.  My staff also learned about trucking regulations that were having an impact on a local small business.  Local officials also took the time to showcase some of their local facilities and historical sites.  I appreciate the feedback that was relayed to me by my staff from those who took the time out of their busy day to connect with my office.

Post by United States Senator Mike Lee.
Post by United States Senator Mike Lee.
Post by United States Senator Mike Lee.

Senator Lee praises the Utah National Guard's 1-211th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion

Apr 8, 2014

Senator Lee praises the Utah National Guard's 1-211th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion and discusses his concerns about transferring Apache helicopters out of the National Guard.

Ending our Opportunity Crisis by Developing our Abundant Natural Resources

Apr 4, 2014

A vote to confirm Rhea Suh is a vote against energy production. A vote against energy production is also a vote against increased energy exports, because you can’t export natural gas that is still in the ground.

Staying Connected to Southeastern Utah

Mar 28, 2014

Utah Association of Conservation Districts – March 25, 2014
 
The Utah Association on Conservation Districts is an organization of political subdivisions of the State of Utah that are responsible for identifying land improvement projects, as well as mitigating natural hazards. My staff attended the Zone 7 annual meeting at the John Wesley Powell Museum in Green River, Utah to hear the organization’s priorities for the coming year. Zone 7 is comprised of five districts; Carbon, Green River, Price River, San Juan, and San Rafael.  Many Mayors and County Commissioners were in attendance and it was a great opportunity to connect with these hardworking local leaders.

powell museum

United States Bureau of Land Management – March 26, 2014
 
My staff attended a briefing with the Bureau of Land Management state office in Salt Lake City on March 26, 2014 where they discussed wild horses, the status of developing projects, and the fire season outlook. Attendees included BLM State Director Juan Palma. My staff in both my Salt Lake City and St. George offices regularly visit with Director Palma regarding constituent concerns. I am dedicated to helping Utahns efficiently navigate their way through restrictive federal land management rules and regulations. Relationships with agency directors help me assist constituents with their frustrations in a more effective way.
 
Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments – March 27, 2014
 
The Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments is a group consisting of Mayors and Commissioners of four Utah counties; Carbon, Emery, Grand, and San Juan. This organization meets monthly in Price, Utah to discuss budgets and prioritize projects they would like to see funded. My staff attended this meeting to give an update about what I am currently working on regarding public lands and natural resources. I constantly seek the input of local governments when considering policies that would affect public lands in Utah.

Keeping the Relationship Strong between My Office and Utah's State Government

Mar 18, 2014

In recognition of the important relationship between the government of the State of Utah and its Congressional Delegation, I sent my mobile office to hold hours at the State Capitol during the legislative session.