Like many of you, I’ve been following along with the international headlines involving our current conflict with Iran. Also like you, I’ve seen my gas go up 85 cents a gallon (and that’s after my Costco discount). Utah families are tired of watching energy costs climb, and our country needs to get serious about energy innovation. That’s why it is encouraging to see Sen. John Curtis’ commitment to geothermal energy.
Geothermal is American-made power that works 24/7, always reliable, always on and designed to keep costs down for working families and fixed-income households. Utah has unique advantages and enormous potential for this kind of energy innovation. Projects like Fervo Energy’s Cape Station Geothermal Project in Beaver, which is documenting breakthroughs in drilling costs and energy production rates, are proving that Utah can lead the nation in reliable, affordable energy innovation.
Gov. Spencer Cox’s Operation Gigawatt initiative aims to double Utah’s power production in the next decade, and geothermal energy is a scalable, reliable solution that can play a central role in making that vision possible. With Utah’s workforce and natural resources, we can prepare to meet rising energy demands while bringing costs down across the state.
While this energy innovation is promising, outdated federal rules are slowing down projects that could be delivering power to our grid and relief to utility bills. In Washington, Curtis is calling for permitting reform to cut the red tape that’s jamming up the federal approval process and making energy more expensive.
International conflicts often have long-term impacts on our energy markets. Now is the right time to increase domestic energy production. Geothermal represents that kind of practical, solution-oriented approach that will benefit Utahns.
Mackey Smith
Bluffdale, UT