Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Regional Energy Buildout topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Intermountain West panel urges regional buildout of power capacity to meet AI-era demand
Summary
Panel at the governors' summit called for Utah, Idaho and Wyoming to coordinate large-scale energy investments — including new nuclear and behind‑the‑meter generation — to meet surging AI data‑center demand while protecting ratepayers.
Moderator opened the convening by framing the session as a rare opportunity for the three governors to lead a coordinated regional energy strategy across Utah, Idaho and Wyoming.
Speakers emphasized that rapid changes in electricity demand — especially from AI data centers — require new infrastructure. Rocky Mountain Power's CEO said reliable, affordable power is central to economic growth and warned that delays in investment left the region vulnerable: "Having reliable, affordable power is key," he said.
John Wagner, director of Idaho National Laboratory, outlined the lab's long history with reactor development and said advanced reactors are being de-risked now so the region can pursue nuclear as a dispatchable baseload source. Wagner argued the regulatory environment is improving and described recent federal efforts to accelerate licensing.
Andrew Likens of Crusoe described the company's energy-first approach to AI infrastructure and the scale of modern projects, saying developers now plan for gigawatt‑scale IT loads. Likens gave concrete examples of Crusoe's plans in Abilene: "we are building 1.2 gigawatts of digital infrastructure," and he described behind‑the‑meter gas generation and solar to reduce grid stress.
Panelists praised SB 132 as a negotiated path that can let utilities and developers contract commercially while shielding residential customers from undue costs. They closed by urging continued governor-level coordination under the summit's "operation gigawatt" goal.
