Cox announces plan to double Utah's energy in 10 years
by Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News · KSL.comEstimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Noting there is a "looming energy crisis," Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced Tuesday an initiative called "Operation Gigawatt," designed to double Utah's power production over the next decade.
The announcement was made at the One Utah Summit in Cedar City, which focused on an array of issues in Utah's rural areas.
"Operation Gigawatt is critical to preserving our quality of life and ensuring strong economic growth," Cox said. "It puts Utah in a position to lead the country in energy development, secure our energy future and remain a net energy exporter while diversifying and expanding our energy resources."
He added that Utah, like much of the globe, is facing an energy crisis due to a growing population, energy-intensive industries like artificial intelligence, increased electrification of vehicles and the retirement of baseload capacity for reliable electricity.
The Carbon Power Plant outside of Price was shuttered due to mercury emissions and because of upgrades that would have been too large for the geography to host.
In addition, the transition of the Intermountain Power Agency's plant in Delta to move from coal to a combination of natural gas eventually amplified by hydrogen has led that potential asset to be a question mark. Even though the vast majority of the power it produces goes to California, it uses Utah water and Utah land to accomplish its generation. Lawmakers have been revisiting the transition.
Cox said Operation Gigawatt is a cohesive strategy to tackle the gap between energy supply and demand while protecting the state's natural resources.
"Energy is the engine that drives our society forward," Cox said. "We need more energy at a time when our supply is decreasing. We will build upon Utah's 'any of the above' energy policy with a 'more of the above' approach by doubling our energy-generating capacity over the next 10 years."
Utah has a number of resources it can tap, which supporters say is key.
"We have an opportunity to lead the country in energy development," said Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Joel Ferry. "This begins with investing in our current energy resources and responsibly pursuing new ones. Operation Gigawatt ensures that when Utahns flip the switch, the lights always come on."
The initiative aims to secure Utah's energy abundance through four key goals:
- Increasing transmission capacity so more power can be placed on the grid and moved to where it is needed.
- Expanding and developing more energy production; this includes investing in what exists while developing new sustainable sources.
- Enhancing Utah's policies to enable clean, reliable energy like nuclear and geothermal.
- Investing in Utah "innovation and research" that aligns with the state's energy policies.
Utah is already among the top places in the country for its solar resources and sits on vast areas described as the "heat beneath your feet," or geothermal. The state is third in the nation for utility scale geothermal energy production.
In addition, in Beaver County and in Millard County, there are ample opportunities for wind development.
According to the Energy Information Administration, while Utah holds less than 1% of the nation's proved natural gas reserves, the state has three of the 100 largest U.S. natural gas fields. Utah's marketed natural gas production, most of which is in Uintah County in the northeastern corner of the state, accounts for about 1% of U.S. natural gas output.
Utah has about 1% of the nation's recoverable coal reserves but in 2023, coal production dropped to its lowest level in 49 years due to temporary closures and production problems at Lila Canyon, according to the EIA.
Despite Utah's various resources, a large problem in this state and elsewhere around the country is timely permitting to get projects approved and in the mix for development. Industry and lawmakers say that needs to change.
Correction: An earlier version referenced Delta County. That has been changed to Millard County.
Related topics
Amy Joi O'Donoghue
Amy Joi O’Donoghue is a reporter for the Utah InDepth team at the Deseret News with decades of expertise in land and environmental issues.