62.8

Risk Grade

Poor

Oil and gas basin economic identity; political resistance from commission; extremely limited grid infrastructure for solar injection; Moon Lake Electric interconnection capacity constraints

Assessment Snapshot

Population

36323

State Rank

#18

Compliance

55%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

Not defined for solar; general industrial setbacks apply

Zoning Mechanism

CUP for industrial uses; commission resistant to solar applications in practice

Acreage Caps

None formal

Size Restrictions

None formal; practical resistance

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Resistant — Vernal is heart of Uinta Basin oil patch; energy identity strongly fossil-fuel

Basis for Assessment

Vernal area economy dependent on oil and gas extraction; Moon Lake Electric has limited grid capacity; commissioners publicly supportive of fossil fuel industry and critical of renewable mandates

Political Risk Factors

Deteriorating

Board Members

Mike McKee | R | 2026; Mark Sizemore | R | 2026; Greg Todd | R | 2028

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

Moon Lake Electric Association — UAMPS territory; very limited solar interconnection capacity

Utilities

Moon Lake Electric Association, Rocky Mountain Power (small area)

State Permitting Process

ESSA for >50 MW

State Incentives

Utah Renewable Energy Systems Tax Credit; net metering (Moon Lake — very limited capacity)

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

None utility-scale

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

No formal denials; developers have not advanced applications due to unfavorable climate

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