EMA Resources

Utah was energized this year and much more is to come in the future when it comes to the idea of keeping the lights on.

Lawmakers made it clear in 2024 they want to hang onto coal, despite the outcry of clean energy advocates.

Here are five things to know about the future of energy in Utah and the West:

• California’s mandate to not burn coal led to a huge shift in the operation of the Intermountain Power Plant in Utah. It is moving to natural gas and a blend of hydrogen. But lawmakers were not about to let a political subdivision of Utah, occupying land using Utah water to abandon coal-fired power units that can generate an installed capacity of up to 1,900 megawatts of power. Instead, they passed legislation to ensure their continued operation, if a buyer can be found.
• In October, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced Operation Gigawatt. His budget just unveiled commitments to spend more than $20 million to infuse nuclear energy technology into Utah’s energy grid. It also calls for additional investment in geothermal deployment. Utah has been a forerunner in this arena with the FORGE demonstration project, which Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm called the “energy grail” for the future.
• Going nuclear. Utah has been identified as a “first mover” state when it comes to the deployment of advanced nuclear technology in its partnership with the Idaho National Laboratory. The Frontiers project aims to foster deployment in states with economic development. That can be something like a microreactor used in manufactory technology to lower emissions. Or, it could be something like the Natrium project in Wyoming by TerraPower. It is sited near a coal-fired power plant and could deliver up to 345-megawatts of power via a molten salt cooled reactor. In this environment to reduce carbon emissions, nuclear is seen as a possible replacement to coal.https://www.deseret.com/utah/2024/12/13/energy-future-in-utah-the-west/