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State energy push: Operation Gigawatt, geothermal research and nuclear pathways draw multi‑million budget requests
Summary
Department of Natural Resources, the Office of Energy Development (OED), and the Utah Geological Survey (UGS) briefed the committee on a coordinated push to expand Utah’s energy capacity — including geothermal, nuclear planning and a governor’s 'Operation Gigawatt' — and presented budget requests and federal grant activity.
Officials from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Office of Energy Development (OED) and the Utah Geological Survey (UGS) told the Natural Resources budget committee the state needs new base‑load resources and better data to meet rising electricity demand and protect economic competitiveness.
OED Director Emmy Lisovsky said the office is implementing “Operation Gigawatt,” the governor’s initiative to double Utah’s energy production over the next decade, and described legislative budget requests to support that work. Lisovsky said the office secured more than $400,000,000 in federal grant funding and published a “nuclear energy pathways” paper to inform possible future development.
Why it matters: Presenters cited rapid load growth driven by data centers, artificial intelligence, electrification and other demand drivers, while numerous existing power plants are expected to retire without clear replacement plans. Officials said geothermal and nuclear represent base‑load…
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