Governor Cox announces plan to double Utah’s power production over 10 years

The federal government has finished another environmental review of a proposed transmission line that will carry wind-generated electricity from rural New Mexico to big cities in the West and similar reviews are planned for two more projects that would span parts of Utah and Nevada, the U.S. Interior Department announced Thursday. Photo: Utah Office of Energy Development

SALT LAKE CITY – Governor Spencer Cox recently announced a new plan to double Utah’s energy production over the next ten years while speaking at the One Utah Summit in Cedar City, a conference highlighting issues in rural areas of the state.

According to Gov. Cox, the energy plan, titled Operation Gigawatt, is a comprehensive strategy to reduce the difference between energy supply and demand while also protecting Utah’s natural resources.

“Operation Gigawatt is critical to preserving our quality of life and ensuring strong economic growth,” Gov. Spencer 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.”

Operation Gigawatt intends to increase energy production through four key initiatives.

The first initiative is described as increasing transmission capacity, allowing the introduction of more power into the grid so it can move to where it is needed most.

Secondly, Gov. Cox intends to increase and develop more energy production, which includes investing in preexisting power sources while also developing new sustainable sources of energy.

The operation also intends to enhance Utah policy to enable the development of clean and reliable sources of energy, such as geothermal and nuclear power.

Lastly, Operation Gigawatt calls for the investment into research and innovation within the state that aligns with Utah’s energy goals.

“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.”

As reported by the Energy Information Administration, Utah contains less than 1% of the country’s proven natural gas reserves, but the state has three of the largest 100 natural gas fields in the U.S.

The majority of Utah’s natural gas production comes from Uintah County in the northeast, contributing roughly 1% to the nation’s total output.

“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.”