Cloverleaf says private capital can pre-build transmission and sites for rapid data-center growth; asks state for predictability

Noor Bernhardt, vice president of Cloverleaf Infrastructure, told the committee the company is preparing data‑center campuses and related transmission upgrades to match Utah's projected load growth and asked for a predictable regulatory framework to enable private capital to proceed. "Investors and large energy users are prepared to deploy billions of dollars in new infrastructure," Bernhardt said; Cloverleaf said it will fund early-stage development, prepare sites with transmission and zoning, and match creditworthy end users with firm power.

Bernhardt described north–south transmission bottlenecks that constrain movement of rural renewable power to the Wasatch Front and noted limited interstate gas capacity and air-quality nonattainment in the Salt Lake Basin can complicate new gas-fired generation in the highest-demand area. She said Cloverleaf's model focuses on aligning campus development with transmission upgrades, using behind‑the‑meter generation where feasible, and protecting existing ratepayers by providing cost protections so other customers are not subsidizing new tech loads. "We're not asking for incentives or subsidies. We're asking for partnership and clarity aligned to Utah's energy policy," Bernhardt said.

Lawmakers had no extended questions during the session; Bernhardt said the company can work with utilities and local governments on zoning and timeline coordination and emphasized the need for "clear pathways and timelines for large load interconnection."

Ending: Cloverleaf said it is investing now to prepare sites and urged the Legislature to provide regulatory predictability that will allow private capital to scale projects quickly when off-takers are secured.