Reflecting on Operation Gigawatt Summit

Last week, Utah Clean Energy’s experts were busy attending what we dubbed “Gigaweek”, a series of back-to-back events focused on achieving Governor Cox’s Operation Gigawatt, and the Western Governors’ Association’s Energy Superabundance goals. These convenings brought together leaders from across the West, along with federal representatives, to dig into the future of our energy system. 

The week unfolded as a kind of energy roadmap for the West. It opened with two days dedicated to the Western Governors’ Association’s Energy Superabundance initiative, a push to dramatically scale up energy production across the region. Conversations then built toward Friday’s Operation Gigawatt Summit, where Governor Cox’s initiative to rapidly expand Utah’s power generation took center stage, featuring state leaders, industry experts, and federal representatives focused on how to meet rising demand.  

Overall, the week consisted of thought-provoking discussions with an eye out for innovation. Not surprisingly, most discussions homed in on nuclear power, critical minerals, data centers, and the infrastructure needed to support rapid growth. While local clean energy resources such as geothermal, solar, and storage were mentioned, they did not take center stage.

For Utah Clean Energy, our key takeaway from these events is that much more work needs to be done to bring the benefits of clean energy to the forefront of these discussions and to ensure our elected leaders recognize climate change as the urgent, critical issue that it is.