area. Governor Gary Herbert expressed interest in letting "free enterprise...make Utah a net energy exporter" by using the technological power of Utah State University, the University of Utah, and Brigham Young University help those private businesses "create cleaner, cheaper sources of energy". During legislative hearings in February 2011, concern was expressed by citizens and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the water leased by BCH for the plant. They stated that it could negatively impact downstream people and wildlife. Governor Herbert released a 10-year energy plan the following month that included options for nuclear power in Utah. A poll conducted shortly before the release of that plan showed a majority of those polled opposed locating a nuclear power plant in Utah. A forum hosted by the Sutherland Institute in July 2011 said that Utah was already burning coal and natural gas to provide power to California, and that nuclear power generation would be beneficial in reducing those carbon emissions. Members of the forum also expressed the opinion that cost concerns were "not grounded in any factual basis" due to the length of time since the last nuclear power plants were constructed. Several Utah environmental groups, businesses, and individuals launched multiple lawsuits in March 2012 to challenge the proposed leasing of the water rights due to a perceived lack of scrutiny of the proposed Blue Castle project. The lawsuits were eventually dismissed after appeal. A 2013 letter from atmospheric scientist Ken Caldeira, professor of meteorology Kerry Emanuel, and climate scientists Tom Wigley and James Hansen encouraged environmental groups to support nuclear power reactors as a way to address environmental concerns such as climate change and pollution. HEAL Utah dismissed the letter, stating the scientists should be trying to persuade "utility executives and the president of the United States". In November 2016, HEAL Utah and other environmental groups filed complaints with the State of Utah claiming BCH had not made the contractually-required initial payments for the approved water rights. BCH stated it was renegotiating with the two water conservancy districts because the agreements "[needed] to be changed to reflect changed market conditions" because of delays caused by the three years of legal battles. Blue Castle Holdings Blue Castle Holdings (BCH) is the company that owns the Blue Castle project. It was cofounded in 2006 by Aaron Tilton. Other executives include Thomas Retson (formerly of GE Nuclear Energy), Nils Diaz (formerly head