Utah wants to double the amount of power it can produce over the next decade. Projections show that the state faces a looming energy crisis driven by rapid population growth, increasing pressures on the grid from electrification, new industries moving in and the retirement of existing power plants.
With a new plan, dubbed “Operation Gigawatt,” Utah is setting an ambitious course that would allow the state to remain a net energy exporter while meeting growing demand. The initiative comes as data centers alone are projected to consume up to 9% of U.S. electricity by 2030, according to estimates cited by state officials.
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The urgency behind Operation Gigawatt stems from multiple converging factors. Utah’s population is expected to grow by 2.2 million people by 2060, while the increasing electrification of vehicles and appliances is adding strain to the grid. Additionally, about 67% of Utah’s baseload power plants that provide 24/7 electricity will be offline within 20 years, with only 16% of that capacity scheduled to be replaced by comparable resources.
On top of that, data centers to power artificial intelligence are planning to move into the state, and just one of these facilities is expected to consume 1.5 times as much energy as the nearby state of Wyoming. Energy-intensive industries such as AI will impact Utah’s power needs regardless of whether they are located within the state, as the western power grid is interconnected.
The initiative focuses on four key areas: expanding transmission capacity to move power where needed, developing new energy production while maintaining existing facilities, updating state policies to enable clean energy sources like nuclear and geothermal power and investing in energy innovation and research to build the next generation of energy technology.
Nuclear and geothermal energy are the only technologies specifically highlighted as promising new resources that the state is investigating. These technologies could help provide the reliable baseload power needed around the clock while also not contributing climate pollution to the atmosphere.
“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.”
State officials view the initiative as building upon its legacy of energy abundance, describing the state in a press release as “blessed with an abundance of diverse energy resources” and emphasizing their commitment to being good stewards of these resources. Through Operation Gigawatt, Utah aims to use these resources to benefit both state residents and Americans more broadly as the nation grapples with energy challenges.
Image by Markus Distelrath from Pixabay
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