Representative Joel Briscoe will propose a carbon tax during the 2017 legislative session.
He released the following statement:
“We need a carbon tax in Utah. Current policy is heading in the wrong direction. As a cofounder of the Legislature’s Clean Air Caucus, I have committed my legislative service to doing whatever I can to assist in cleaning up Utah’s air. Other branches of our state government have chosen to block the implementation of laws that would benefit our most important bottom line – our children.
A carbon tax uses the power of markets to encourage people to reduce their use of carbon; it uses the power of free markets to promote both personal and corporate responsibility. It spans from a single individual’s daily decisions to decades-ahead planning by industry. We must take responsibility for our state. It’s on us. No one else.”
The bill will be revenue neutral. Funding from the proposed tax could be used for education or infrastructure initiatives. Utah is currently 46th in the nation for renewable energy production. Given our geography and resources Utah should be a leader in generating our energy from renewable sources. Representative Briscoe looks to states like Iowa, Texas, Idaho and Nevada who utilize state-specific renewable energy plans to supplement their energy use.
