Utah is at a crossroads in its energy future. Our state is growing, technology is advancing and communities are demanding reliable, affordable and forward-looking energy solutions. These changes require open dialogue, strong collaboration and a willingness to adapt — not the heavy-handed tactics of the past.
Unfortunately, recent events have shown that not all participants in Utah’s energy landscape are committed to those principles.
In recent weeks, representatives of Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) — Utah’s largest regulated monopoly — took actions that undermine fair dialogue by pressuring industry organizations to remove members of the Beehive Energy Alliance from their boards. The reason? Our independent efforts to advance energy innovation, diversification and modernized infrastructure across Utah.
Let me be clear: We do not believe these actions represent the entire organization or its workforce. RMP employs thousands of dedicated, mission-driven professionals — engineers, planners, line workers, analysts and managers — who work tirelessly to serve Utah’s families and businesses. Our concern is not with them. Our concern is with the actions of a small number of individuals in leadership or legislative affairs who used institutional influence in ways that discourage constructive dialogue and weaken trust across the energy community.
This behavior is harmful, unnecessary and inconsistent with the responsibilities of a regulated monopoly entrusted with serving millions of Utahns. When a monopoly uses its influence to silence policy discussion or punish groups offering new ideas, the entire state loses.
The Beehive Energy Alliance was created to unite the full spectrum of Utah’s energy ecosystem: private-sector innovators, utilities, community leaders, energy developers, grid-technology pioneers, researchers, manufacturers and policymakers. Our mission is to strengthen Utah’s long-term energy reliability and accelerate the world-class solutions being built right here in our state.
We support electrification, distributed energy, microgrids, advanced storage systems, emerging reactor technologies and policy frameworks that allow new ideas and technologies to thrive alongside traditional energy infrastructure.
We believe Utah is strongest when ALL VOICES — utilities, independent developers, researchers, universities, local governments, small businesses and community groups — are at the table.
And now more than ever, Utah needs more voices at that table.
Recent events have highlighted the need for greater transparency, broader collaboration, and more partners willing to step forward to help shape Utah’s energy future. That is why the Beehive Energy Alliance is extending an open invitation to organizations across the state — industry groups, nonprofits, research institutions, tribal partners, technology companies, municipalities and energy innovators — to join this coalition.
There is room for everyone. And the work ahead is far too important for anyone to be left out.
Of course, collaboration only works when all parties act with integrity. When Rocky Mountain Power pressures partner organizations to punish or remove dissenting viewpoints, it signals a deeper institutional issue: resistance to innovation, fear of competition or an unwillingness to accept that Utah’s energy landscape is rapidly changing.
Energy policy is not a zero-sum game. Utah’s future is big enough for utilities, innovators, new technologies and emerging industries. What matters is that every participant contributes honestly, transparently and with a shared sense of responsibility.
Despite recent events, the Beehive Energy Alliance remains committed to collaborating with RMP as an institution. We believe in working with all Utah energy stakeholders — including those who may disagree with us — to find real solutions. That includes extending an open invitation to RMP’s policy, legislative and strategic leadership to work alongside our board, which includes state legislators, researchers, developers and grid technology innovators. When we sit at the same table, we all win.
Several Utah leaders and organizations have already reaffirmed their support for the Beehive Energy Alliance following these events. They understand that innovation thrives when diverse voices participate freely and when policy discussions happen in the open, not behind closed doors.
The Beehive Energy Alliance remains fully committed to constructive engagement. We welcome disagreement. We value debate. We believe that the best solutions emerge when ideas are tested — not suppressed.
Utah deserves an energy ecosystem built on trust, collaboration and a shared commitment to innovation. It deserves institutions that lead with integrity, not intimidation. And it deserves a future where new ideas are encouraged — not punished.