Utah’s growth is outpacing yesterday’s infrastructure. To keep power reliable and affordable for families and small businesses, we need to fast-track permitting so projects can move forward without unnecessary delays.
We are fortunate to have Utah’s leaders pushing real solutions. As the founder of the Conservative Climate Caucus, U.S. Senator John Curtis remains a vocal advocate for bipartisan energy solutions. Earlier this year, he called for permitting reform to support state-led energy innovation and modernize transmission infrastructure. On Capitol Hill now, proposals are being floated to make the permitting process more consistent, expedited, and less prone to time-consuming legal challenges.
Back at home, Gov. Spencer Cox continues to push Operation Gigawatt, his strategy to double Utah’s power production over the next 10 years. Gov. Cox recently announced a major development under this plan: a future nuclear power facility in the Brigham City area. Cutting through red tape is exactly what we need to move forward with that energy progress. As he put it when he signed onto a bipartisan letter urging Congress to fix federal permitting, “If we want to power new homes and businesses, strengthen the grid, and double our capacity, we have to build like we used to.” He’s right. Today’s permitting process leaves too many upgrades and projects stuck in limbo, driving up costs and delaying much-needed, affordable energy.
Victoria Vincent
National Committeewoman, Utah Young Republicans