NEWS RELEASE: Gov. Cox unveils ‘Operation Gigawatt’

NEWS RELEASE: Gov. Cox unveils 'Operation Gigawatt'

NEWS RELEASE

Oct. 8, 2024

Contact:

Robert Carroll

Office of the Governor

(801) 243-2290, [email protected]

Gov. Cox unveils 'Operation Gigawatt'

Plan calls for doubling power production over the next 10 years

SALT LAKE CITY (Oct. 8, 2024) - In response to the looming energy crisis, today at the One Utah Summit, Gov. Spencer Cox shared Operation Gigawatt, an initiative to double Utah's power production over the next 10 years.

"Operation Gigawatt is critical to preserving our quality of life and ensuring strong economic growth," Utah 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."

Utah, like much of the globe, is facing an energy crisis due to a growing population, energy-intensive industries like artificial intelligence, increased electrification of vehicles and the retirement of baseload capacity for reliable electricity. Operation Gigawatt is a cohesive strategy to tackle the gap between energy supply and demand while protecting the state's natural resources.

"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."

Utah has diverse energy resources and a long history of delivering energy abundance to residents.

"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."

Operation Gigawatt will secure Utah's energy abundance through four key goals:

• Increasing transmission capacity so more power can be placed on the grid and moved to where it's needed.
• Expanding and developing more energy production. This includes investing in what we currently have while developing new sustainable sources.
• Enhancing Utah's policies to enable clean, reliable energy like nuclear and geothermal.
• Investing in Utah innovation and research that aligns with our energy policies.

Operation Gigawatt announcement video

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