Utah energy office highlights Operation Gigawatt goals, signs nuclear MOUs and advances geothermal research

Emmy Lisovsky, director of the Office of Energy Development, told the Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Interim Committee that the office is advancing Operation Gigawatt, the governor—s stated goal to double the state—s energy generation capacity within 10 years. Lisovsky said the office works on workforce development, forecasting tools, regulatory reform and incentives intended to attract energy projects to Utah.

Lisovsky summarized recent legislative actions that assigned new duties to the office and created research bodies. She told the committee HB 249 created the Utah Energy Research Board and an Advanced Nuclear and Energy Research Institute, and that the legislature also authorized an energy council that allows localities to nominate electrical energy development zones. Lisovsky said the office has signed a memorandum of understanding with Idaho National Laboratory to bring federal research expertise to Utah and another MOU with Energy Solutions and others to explore options for nuclear materials management and potential future reactor siting.

Lisovsky discussed geothermal as a major potential resource, noting the state—s conventional and advanced geothermal activity and citing projects such as the University of Utah—s FORGE project and private companies developing power purchase agreements. "Geothermal is reliable base load, clean power," she said, and noted an estimate cited to the committee of "up to 49 gigawatts of utility scale power potentially in the state," while also cautioning that how much of that is developable "remains to be seen."

On nuclear, Lisovsky said the state is developing a regulatory and research framework and emphasized education and outreach. She said Utah signed regional MOUs with neighboring governors to explore an interstate compact and to collaborate on nuclear pathways and permitting frameworks; these efforts are intended to "leverage expertise to thoughtfully and responsibly develop nuclear in our state."

The committee also heard from Doug Hansen, director of the Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control, who described Utah—s status as an "agreement state" with delegated authority from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to license and regulate certain radiological activities. Hansen explained that not all NRC authority can be delegated (reactor licensing and high‑level waste remain federal), and he said Utah administers radioactive materials licensing, radioactive waste disposal facility oversight and the uranium recovery program.

Hansen addressed public questions about Energy Solutions and the potential to recover energy from stored waste, saying that much of the commercial low‑level waste currently accepted in Utah is Class A waste and "there's not much energy in that waste." He noted other federally held material, such as depleted uranium, is being discussed for potential use in advanced reactor fuel but said those stockpiles are owned and stored by the U.S. Department of Energy. "There is an opportunity to recover energy from some of the waste, just not the waste that we already have here," Hansen said.

Committee members asked about permitting timelines, federal regulatory bottlenecks, and the office—s work on transmission and workforce development. Lisovsky said the office is engaged at the federal and regional level on regulatory processes and on tools to forecast energy supply and demand to inform state policy.