SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Transit Authority tram is now powered entirely by renewable energy. UTA and Rocky Mountain Power officials announced Thursday that the S-Line tram on the east side of Salt Lake is now powered by 100% renewable energy.
“That’s the equivalent of removing hundreds of cars from the road each year,” said Carlton Christensen, chairman of the UTA board of trustees.
UTA’s S-Line connects Sugarhouse with South Salt Lake and runs alongside 2100 South.
“This is a great milestone for UTA as we continue our commitment to bringing cleaner energy to our transportation network,” said Christensen.
The car uses electricity from Rocky Mountain Power, which UTA says has invested heavily in solar and wind power.
James Campbell, RMP Director for Innovation and Sustainability, praised UTA for the move, saying that clean traffic is a great contribution to solving environmental and climate problems.
“Traffic is our single largest source of critical pollution here in Utah and along the Wasatch Front,” he said. He also says it is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions at the national level. “
“So really the solution to addressing this pollution and climate problem, converting our transport fleets to electric, like the S-Line, and then ensuring that the underlying source that supplies this electricity is clean or renewable.”
Christensen said the car shouldn’t be renewable, but the community it serves is “very sensitive” when it comes to that.
“I think it’s a perfect place to be first line with fully renewable energy.”
UTA says they may consider extending the S line further east.
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