Utah's Copper Comeback

On April 27, a copper mine in southeastern Utah roared back to life — and with it, a powerful reminder of what American ingenuity looks like when government gets out of the way and lets the private sector lead.

Mariana Minerals officially resumed production at its Copper One mine in San Juan County, about 40 miles southeast of Moab. But this isn't just a mine reopening. It's the world's first autonomous copper mine, deploying AI-powered drills, robotic haul trucks, and a private 5G network to fundamentally rethink how we extract the critical minerals our country desperately needs.

The previous operator shut the mine down in 2024 due to rising costs and difficulty finding workers — challenges familiar to rural communities across the West. Mariana's answer wasn't a government program or a bailout. It was innovation. By integrating artificial intelligence and autonomous systems across its operations, the company is cutting mining costs by an estimated 50 percent and refining costs by 30 percent, with plans to produce 50,000 tons of refined copper annually by 2030.

Why Copper Matters Now More Than Ever

The U.S. government has officially designated copper as a critical mineral, and for good reason. Copper is the backbone of modern infrastructure — essential for electrical wiring, renewable energy systems, grid modernization, data centers powering the AI revolution, and national defense. Some analysts estimate the world will need to produce more copper in the next decade than it has over the previous century.

Yet despite having substantial domestic copper reserves, the United States still produces only about half the refined copper it consumes, sending much of its raw material overseas — often to China — for processing. Copper prices have surged past $13,000 per ton in 2026, reflecting a tightening global market and growing demand from every sector of the economy.

Projects like Mariana Minerals' Copper One represent exactly the kind of domestic production capacity we need to build if we're serious about energy independence and supply chain security.

A Lifeline for Rural Utah

The economic impact for San Juan County cannot be overstated. County Commissioner Lori Maughan called the mine's reopening "absolutely" an economic booster, pointing to the tax revenue, jobs, and outside talent the project stands to bring to the region.

Many of the mine's previous employees have already been brought back into the revamped operation. Process operations manager James Gill, who has worked at the site since the early 2000s, said the technological upgrades will allow the company to double its copper output. And the ripple effects — from local spending to new housing demand to ancillary service businesses — will extend well beyond the mine gate.

Free Markets

This is the story of energy and mineral development across the rural West: private investment flowing into communities that need it most, creating real economic opportunity without top-down mandates.

Governor Spencer Cox called the mine's reopening "one of the most important" events in the state's history, praising the convergence of cutting-edge technology and critical mineral production. Utah has been aggressively cutting permitting timelines for energy and mineral projects, and the state legislature passed a concurrent resolution this session to establish Utah as a critical minerals hub.

That's the right approach. When state and federal leaders focus on removing barriers rather than picking winners, the private sector responds. Mariana Minerals has already raised $100 million in venture capital — proof that investors are eager to put money into domestic mineral production when the regulatory environment allows it.

As Caldwell put it, a new generation of entrepreneurs is asking the hard question: "Why can't we do more here?"

At The Western Way, we believe the answer is simple: we can — and we must. Projects like Copper One show that with the right mix of innovation, investment, and sensible policy, America can rebuild its industrial capacity, strengthen its supply chains, and deliver real prosperity to the rural communities that make it all possible.

Market, not mandates: Why Arizona needs both nuclear and renewables

This opinion piece from Andy Tobin was first published by the AZ Chamber Business News on March 23, 2026 and can be accessed here.

Market, not mandates: Why Arizona needs both nuclear and renewables

There has been a lot of interest and focus by Arizona policymakers on the environmental virtues of nuclear energy. They are absolutely right: nuclear power is a clean-energy marvel. As a former Corporation Commissioner, I advocated for nuclear as part of the backbone of our energy grid, alongside natural gas. Nuclear’s reliability is unmatched, and its footprint is impressively small. Our Palo Verde Generating Station is a crown jewel of our grid, providing 27% of our state’s electricity.

However, in the world of energy policy, there isn’t a “silver bullet.” We need “silver buckshot.” We don’t have to choose between nuclear and renewables – we need an energy portfolio that includes both. That keeps prices low for Arizonans and meets our skyrocketing energy demand.

The Power of the Market

For those of us who believe in the power of markets, the best news isn’t found in a government mandate – it’s found in the competitive “All-Source RFP” process used by our major utilities. Today, when Arizona needs new power, we don’t pick winners and losers from the Capitol Mall in Phoenix. We let the market decide.

In these processes, technologies compete. What we are seeing is that renewable projects are winning a seat at the table not because of a mandate, but because they are often the most cost-effective way to protect ratepayers’ wallets while meeting our surging energy demands. By 2027, APS intends to add over 6,000 MW of renewable power, integrated with battery storage. SRP is currently developing 2,025 MW of solar – enough to power 450,000 homes.

One important reason why is that utility-scale renewables can be built now. Despite the need and ongoing work to reform federal permitting, advanced nuclear and small modular reactors take years – or decades – to plan, permit, and build.

In contrast, solar and wind projects can be deployed with incredible speed – often in less than 24 months. By embracing renewables today, we get the immediate “juice” our grid demands, while we work together to build the nuclear backbone of tomorrow.

A Diverse Energy Portfolio

The Arizona Corporation Commission recently repealed decades-old renewable mandates, citing the fact that these technologies can now stand on their own two feet in a free market. This is a victory for conservative principles. It shows that renewable energy is no longer a liberal project – it is a business project.

Champions of nuclear power are right that it is cleaner than many realize. But let’s also remember that solar and wind provide stable income for rural ranchers, tax revenue for our local schools, and one way to generate power without exhausting our most precious natural resource: water.

Arizona’s energy future demands a diverse approach – “silver buckshot” not a “silver bullet.” More nuclear, more natural gas, and more renewables. My hope is that we can move past the either/or debates and focus on an all-of-the-above strategy that keeps Arizona’s lights on and economy moving at full speed.

Andy Tobin is president and owner of Tobin Business Solutions LLC and director of The Western Way’s Arizona Rural Energy Network. He served as an Arizona Corporation Commissioner from 2016 to 2019 and represented District 1 at the Arizona Legislature from 2007 to 2015. He served as the speaker of the Arizona House from 2011 to 2014.

Critics of rural energy investment are forgetting how agriculture works

This opinion piece from TWW’s Greg Brophy was first published by The Fence Post on April 1, 2026 and can be accessed here.

Critics of rural energy investment are forgetting how agriculture works

By Greg Brophy

As a former Republican state lawmaker and a farmer from northeast Colorado, I love talking politics. Especially over the past few years, seeing conservative rural values triumph over urban liberal elitism on the national political stage has brought me a lot of joy.

But I have also learned in my professional and personal life that politics isn’t everything. If you start to obsess over it, you can quickly forget who you are, where you’re from, and how to be a good neighbor to those around you.

I bring up this lesson because I’ve seen some disturbing opposition to energy projects in some corners of rural America — opposition fueled by misguided politics rather than facts.

You see, in recent years, a growing number of farmers, ranchers and other property owners in rural America have started adding solar, wind and battery storage projects as a new source of income.

Thanks to these projects, rural landowners can receive lease payments from the generation and sale of electricity while still growing crops, raising livestock, producing oil and natural gas, or pursuing other lines of business.

It’s another way for these landowners to make a living by exercising their private property rights. But even so, pockets of political opposition have started to emerge, with outside parties trying to block permits or otherwise strangle these energy projects in red tape.

One of the leading political arguments against these projects: The electricity that’s being generated here is being consumed in major cities, or someplace else that’s hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

Well, yes, that’s probably true. But the same thing can be said for just about every product grown, raised or produced in a farming or ranching community.

Like I said, when you take politics too far, you can quickly forget who you are, where you come from, and how to be a good neighbor to those around you.

Consider just a few facts from my corner of the country in northeast Colorado.

Colorado is one of the top 10 states for producing wheat. On average, 80% of each year’s crop is exported to the world.

In fact, across the board, Colorado exports roughly $2 billion worth of wheat, beef, dairy and other agricultural products around the world each year, according to the Trump administration.

How about all the oil and gas that’s produced on farms and ranches in Colorado?

Our state produces roughly twice as much oil as it consumes. For natural gas, production is four times greater than state consumption, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Therefore, if farmers and ranchers couldn’t ship their oil and gas outside of our state, their income from oil would collapse by half and their income from natural gas would plummet even further.

These are just a few examples of the reality of life in rural America. We grow agricultural products and we produce energy that will be consumed elsewhere, in big cities or by other countries.

It makes no sense to treat the electricity produced in rural communities any differently. If that standard makes no sense for wheat or beef or oil or gas, then it makes no sense for anything else, plain and simple.

I understand that the national debate over energy has gotten hyper-political. The national media and social media influencers love to portray some energy sources as pro-Republican and other energy sources as pro-Democrat.

To be honest, I believe it started during the Biden administration when fringe environmental groups ramped up their campaign to demonize and eliminate fossil fuels and make renewables holier-than-thou.

But injecting polarized national politics into local permitting decisions — and shredding the private property rights of farmers and ranchers in the process — is badly misguided.

If it was wrong when anti-fracking groups used those tactics against landowners with oil and gas production on their land, then it’s wrong today, too.

Editor’s Note: Brophy is a farmer and former state senator from Wray, Colo.

Powering Pinal County: Getting the Facts on Energy and Taxes

There's been a lot of discussion across Pinal County, AZ about energy development — how personal property taxes from energy projects are assessed, where that revenue goes and what these investments mean for local communities. Some of the conversation has been productive. Some of it has been based on incomplete information.

The Western Way hosted a Lunch & Learn in Florence on March 24 to cut through the noise and put the facts on the table. The event featured a presentation from Arizona economist Jim Rounds of Rounds Consulting Group, followed by a fireside chat and live Q&A with Rounds and land specialist Kirk McCarville, moderated by former Eloy Mayor Micah Powell.

Rounds — one of Arizona's most widely cited economists, a Senior Fellow at the Goldwater Institute and a regular adviser to policymakers at the state capitol — walked attendees through the bigger economic picture: how personal property taxes on energy projects work in Arizona, how accelerated depreciation affects assessed values over time and what the real-world fiscal impact looks like for Pinal County. His previous research has estimated that Arizona's solar industry alone generates $7.3 billion in annual economic output statewide, supports more than 22,000 jobs and delivers $155 million per year in state and local tax revenue.

That's not an abstraction for Pinal County. The county's available land, existing transmission infrastructure and fast-growing demand — driven in part by data centers, manufacturing and population growth — have made it one of the most active regions in the state for utility-scale energy development. That development means construction jobs, ongoing operations employment and a growing stream of property tax revenue funding schools, roads, fire departments and other essential services.

The fireside chat gave attendees a chance to hear directly from McCarville on the land-use side of the equation — how lease agreements work, what landowners can expect and how energy projects fit alongside the agricultural and ranching operations that remain central to Pinal County's identity. Powell, drawing on his experience as a local elected leader, kept the conversation grounded in what matters most to residents: reliable information, transparent process and tangible community benefits.

The live Q&A — open to both in-person and virtual attendees — reflected the level of interest across the county. Residents came with sharp, specific questions about tax assessment methodology, depreciation timelines and how energy revenue compares to other revenue sources. That's exactly the kind of informed conversation these communities deserve.

At The Western Way, we believe energy decisions should be driven by economics and local conditions — not ideology or misinformation. Events like Powering Pinal County are how we put that principle into practice: bringing credible experts to the table, presenting the data clearly and letting communities draw their own conclusions.

The facts speak for themselves. And in Pinal County, the economic case for responsible energy development is strong.

Record-Breaking Energy Storage Growth Is Making the Grid More Reliable

The numbers are in, and the energy storage market just had its biggest year ever.

According to the latest US Energy Storage Monitor from Wood Mackenzie, the United States installed a record 18.9 gigawatts of energy storage in 2025 — a 52 percent increase over the prior year. In total, more than 50 gigawatts of storage capacity has been deployed nationwide since 2019, driven by declining costs, strong market signals and growing demand for reliable power.

This matters for anyone who cares about keeping the lights on.

As we documented in our recent Red State Reliable report, the most reliable power grids in America aren't built on a single energy source — they're built on a diverse mix of generation and storage working together. Battery storage is a critical part of that equation, giving grid operators more tools to manage peak demand, smooth out intermittency and keep electricity affordable.

The growth is no longer concentrated in just a handful of states. Utility-scale storage was installed across 22 states in 2025, signaling continued regional diversification well beyond California and Texas. That's the "all of the above" strategy playing out in real time — private capital deploying storage where the economics make sense, from the Southwest to the Southeast and everywhere in between.

Looking ahead, Wood Mackenzie projects the U.S. will install roughly half a terawatt-hour of new storage capacity between 2026 and 2031 — two and a half times what was deployed in the previous six years. Annual installations are expected to surpass 28 gigawatts by 2031, with utility-scale storage growing an average of 16 percent per year.

The biggest risk to that trajectory? Policy uncertainty. The report flags ongoing questions around supply chain rules, trade barriers and permitting delays as key variables that could swing future deployments by as much as 52 gigawatts in either direction. That's a powerful reminder that market momentum alone isn't enough — smart, stable policy matters too.

Energy storage isn't a niche technology anymore. It's a foundational piece of America's grid infrastructure, and the market is scaling it faster than almost anyone predicted. The question for policymakers isn't whether to support storage — the market has already answered that. The question is whether Washington will keep up.

TWW Breaks Down the UT's Renewable Energy Story on Wildcat Economics

TWW Utah Director and former state legislator Steve Handy sat down with the Wildcat Economics podcast this month to discuss the findings of a major new economic impact study on Utah's utility-scale renewable energy industry — and what the numbers mean for rural communities, grid reliability and the state's energy future.

The study, conducted by the Crossroads Economics Center at Weber State University and commissioned by The Western Way, analyzed 41 utility-scale solar, wind and geothermal projects across the state. The headline: $8.4 billion in construction and investment activity from 2007 through 2028 — real money flowing into real communities, supporting real jobs and generating real tax revenue.

Handy walked listeners through the scale of the economic impact. Construction of these projects has supported more than 34,600 job-years of employment statewide, including roughly 19,300 job-years of direct onsite construction labor. Total construction-period economic output tops $5.2 billion, with $3.1 billion in value added to Utah's economy. And the benefits don't stop when construction wraps — ongoing operations support approximately 1,570 jobs and $244.6 million in economic output on an annual basis.

For rural counties, the fiscal picture is especially compelling. Handy highlighted the estimated $33 million per year in property tax revenue flowing to local governments — funding schools, fire departments and essential services in communities from Beaver County to Box Elder that have historically relied on a narrow economic base. An additional $4 million per year in land lease payments is providing rural landowners with new, stable income streams.

A central theme of the conversation was Utah's market-driven approach. Unlike many states, Utah does not have a mandatory renewable portfolio standard. As Handy emphasized, the growth of solar, wind and geothermal in the state has been driven by economics and local conditions — not government mandates. Since 2015, approximately 94 percent of new electric generating capacity added in Utah has been solar, a reflection of strong solar resources, abundant land and access to transmission infrastructure.

The discussion also touched on two areas of significant growth: battery energy storage and geothermal development. The study documents 1,170 megawatts of installed and planned battery storage capacity in Utah, with storage construction alone supporting an estimated 6,300 job-years and $865 million in economic output. Storage is playing an increasingly important role in grid reliability — giving operators more tools to manage peak demand and smooth out intermittency.

On geothermal, Handy pointed to large projects planned in Beaver County that could substantially increase Utah's baseload renewable generation later this decade. Geothermal uses the same drilling technologies that made America an oil and gas superpower, delivering around-the-clock power with a proven technological foundation — and private capital is taking notice.

All of this feeds into the broader challenge outlined by Gov. Cox's Operation Gigawatt: doubling Utah's energy production over the next decade to meet surging demand from population growth, data centers, manufacturing and more. Renewable energy — alongside natural gas, nuclear, geothermal and other sources — is a critical piece of that puzzle.

As Handy put it during the conversation, the energy business has never been a zero-sum game. Utah is proving that every single day — and the data backs it up.

Read the full study release →

Watch the Podcast:

Geothermal Energy Is Ready to Boom — If Washington Gets Out of the Way

Private capital is flooding into next-generation geothermal. Tech giants are signing long-term power purchase agreements for around-the-clock electricity. Federal lease sales in Utah, Nevada and Idaho are setting revenue records. The market has made its verdict on geothermal energy clear.

The problem? The federal permitting system hasn't caught up.

A new report from ClearPath, A Clear Path for Geothermal Permitting: Cutting Delays, Driving Deployment, documents what's holding this industry back — and offers practical fixes that should appeal to anyone who believes in an "all of the above" energy strategy.

The opportunity is enormous. The U.S. leads the world with roughly 4 gigawatts of installed geothermal capacity, but the Department of Energy estimates next-generation systems could deliver 100 gigawatts by 2050 — roughly equal to the entire U.S. nuclear fleet. McKinsey estimates $900 million in private capital has flowed into next-generation geothermal over the past five years, with more than 780 megawatts of power purchase agreements signed in just the past two.

The demand is real. The technology is ready. So what's the holdup?

More than 90 percent of America's discoverable geothermal resources sit on federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. A single geothermal project can trigger up to six separate rounds of environmental review, and DOE's own research found that permitting delays can add five to seven years before a developer can even demonstrate a viable resource. Making matters worse, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 created streamlined permitting for oil and gas exploration — using essentially the same drilling technologies — but didn't extend it to geothermal. Twenty years later, that disparity persists.

Among the ClearPath report's key recommendations:

• Require annual geothermal lease sales. Even the current biennial requirement is routinely missed. California — the nation's largest geothermal producer — went nearly a decade without a competitive lease sale.

• Expand categorical exclusions. BLM's own data shows all 26 geothermal exploration projects it evaluated resulted in no significant environmental impact — yet more than half wouldn't qualify for the current exclusion due to an arbitrary acreage cap.

• Establish a Geothermal Ombudsman and Permitting Task Force to address major inconsistencies across BLM field offices. One parcel offered at a 2023 Utah lease sale was originally nominated in 2008.

• Create dedicated permitting funding for geothermal, similar to what already exists for oil and gas, wind and solar.

These are common-sense reforms that level the playing field. The government shouldn't be picking winners in the energy market — but it shouldn't be picking losers, either. BLM currently has 2.2 gigawatts of new geothermal capacity approved or under review, representing a 56 percent increase over today's installed base. That means construction jobs, property tax revenue for rural counties and reliable, domestically produced baseload power.

The market is speaking. It's time for federal permitting to listen.

Renewable energy is paying off for rural Utah — and the numbers prove it

This opinion piece from TWW’s Steve Handy was originally published in the Deseret News on February 23, 2026 and can be accessed here.

When people think about the economic engines of Utah’s future, they tend to picture Silicon Slopes, the booming Wasatch Front or the tech companies setting up shop along the I-15 corridor. And those are all important. But there’s another economic success story unfolding across the state — one that’s happening in the wide-open spaces of Beaver, Emery, Iron and Millard counties, where utility-scale renewable energy projects are quietly generating billions of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs.

A new study from the Crossroads Economics Center at Weber State University, commissioned by The Western Way, puts hard numbers on what many in rural Utah already know: Renewable energy development is one of the most significant economic forces in our state’s rural communities. And as policymakers debate the future of energy in Utah and across the West, these are the facts that should be driving the conversation.

Here’s the headline: Over the period from 2007 through 2028, 41 utility-scale renewable energy projects across Utah — solar, wind and geothermal — represent $8.4 billion in construction and investment activity. That’s not a projection or a wish. That’s real money flowing into real communities, paying real workers and generating real tax revenue.

The construction of these projects alone has supported more than 34,600 job-years of employment statewide, including roughly 19,300 job-years of direct onsite construction labor. When you factor in the supply-chain and household-spending effects — the electricians buying groceries, the equipment suppliers hiring staff — the economic ripple extends far beyond the project sites themselves. Total construction-period economic output tops $5.2 billion, with $3.1 billion in value added to Utah’s economy.

And the benefits don’t stop when the last panel is installed. On an annual basis, ongoing operations at these facilities support approximately 1,570 jobs, $244.6 million in economic output and $113.7 million in wages, salaries and benefits. These are stable, recurring contributions to the economy — not one-time windfalls.

For rural counties, the fiscal impact is especially meaningful. The facilities in this study generate an estimated $33 million per year in property tax revenue, funding schools, fire departments and other essential services in communities that have historically relied on a narrow economic base. Add in approximately $4 million per year in land lease payments to rural landowners, and you start to see how renewable energy development is diversifying and strengthening rural economies from Beaver County to Box Elder.

I want to be clear: This isn’t about picking winners or choosing sides in the energy debate. As a fiscal conservative and former state legislator, I believe energy decisions should be driven by economics and local conditions — not ideology. Utah doesn’t have a mandatory renewable portfolio standard. What we have is a state where the economics of solar, wind and geothermal energy simply work, particularly in rural areas with abundant land, strong resources and access to transmission infrastructure.

Since 2015, approximately 94% of new electric generating capacity added in Utah has been solar. That’s not because of a government mandate. It’s because the market is speaking, and solar is competitive. Meanwhile, geothermal energy — which uses the same drilling technologies that made America an oil and gas superpower — is poised for a major expansion, with large projects planned in Beaver County that could substantially increase Utah’s baseload renewable generation later this decade.

The study also documents a growing role for battery energy storage, with 1,170 megawatts of installed and planned storage capacity supporting grid reliability and helping to manage intermittency. Storage construction alone is estimated to support roughly 6,300 additional job-years and $865 million in economic output. This is the “all of the above” approach in action — different technologies working together to keep the lights on and keep costs down.

Gov. Cox’s Operation Gigawatt recognizes that Utah needs to double its energy production over the next decade to meet surging demand from population growth, data centers, manufacturing and more. Renewable energy — alongside natural gas, nuclear, geothermal and other sources — is a critical part of meeting that goal. And as this study makes clear, building out our renewable capacity isn’t just good energy policy. It’s good economic policy, especially for the rural communities that are hosting these projects.

Utah’s approach to energy has always been grounded in pragmatism and results. We don’t have the luxury of treating energy as a political football when families need affordable power and rural communities need good-paying jobs. The data in this study should give every policymaker, county commissioner and community leader the confidence to keep saying yes to responsible energy development — because the economic case is overwhelming.

The energy business has never been a zero-sum game, and in my view it never will be. Utah is proving that every single day.

Steve is a former state legislator and the Utah director for The Western Way, an organization focused on market-competitive solutions to environmental and conservation challenges.

Assemblymember Koenig: Faster federal permitting could unleash Nevada’s multi-billion dollar energy boom

This piece from Nevada Assemblymember Greg Koenig was originally published in the Pahrump Valley Times on February 18th, and can be accessed here.

In the final days of 2025, the Trump administration quietly approved a major solar power and energy storage project on federal land in western Nevada. Despite the low-key rollout, it was really big news.

The $2.3 billion Libra Solar Project had been pulled aside for additional review by President Trump’s Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, raising fears that an important investment in Nevada’s energy infrastructure could be delayed indefinitely.

Thankfully, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo worked with the Trump administration to keep the project moving through the final steps of the permitting process. Military veterans in the state of Nevada also supported the governor’s efforts.

“Solar energy development on federal land fuels Nevada’s economy,” Governor Lombardo wrote in a letter to Secretary Burgum last summer.

The Trump administration’s approval of the 700-megawatt solar and battery storage project will create around 1,000 construction jobs in rural Mineral County over the next two years.

For context, the $2.3 billion investment in Libra Solar is about the same amount of money that was spent building the Las Vegas Sphere. Put another way, in dollar terms, it’s on roughly the same scale as the new baseball stadium that’s being built for the Athletics.

But with continued leadership from Governor Lombardo and the U.S. Interior Department, Libra Solar could be the tip of a very big iceberg.

Nevada has at least nine more solar and storage projects caught up in different stages of federal review, including:

■ Boulder Solar III (Boulder City)

■ Dry Lake East (Clark County)

■ Lone Mountain Solar (Esmeralda County)

■ Nivloc Solar (Esmeralda County)

■ Smoky Valley Solar (Esmeralda County)

■ Red Ridge 1 Solar (Esmeralda County)

■ Red Ridge 2 Solar (Esmeralda County)

■ Esmeralda Energy Center (Esmeralda County)

■ Gold Dust Solar (Esmeralda County)

Taken together, these nine projects represent more than six gigawatts of solar power generation capacity and battery storage.

Using industry-wide cost estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, these projects represent somewhere between $13 billion and $20 billion in construction activity.

For perspective, in dollar terms, that’s the equivalent of building another six to eight Las Vegas Spheres or baseball stadiums.

That’s a huge investment in Nevada’s energy infrastructure.

These projects will harness one of our state’s biggest advantages – abundant sunshine – and leverage state-of-the-art storage technology to allow solar power to be used in the late afternoon and evenings when electricity demand from homes and businesses is highest.

But it’s also a huge investment in rural Nevada, bringing construction jobs and expanding the property tax base for smaller communities in our state.

To be clear, this multi-billion dollar wave of investment depends on the U.S. Interior Department working constructively – pun intended – with Governor Lombardo and other Nevada officials to move these projects across the finish line of the federal permitting process.

You can’t blame the developers and supporters of these projects for being nervous.

As occurred with Libra Solar, officials in the Trump administration want to double-check any preliminary permitting decisions that were made during President Biden’s term related to these planned projects. And where they find problems that need to be fixed, or improvements that can be made, they should absolutely do so.

What should not happen – and in fairness, I do not think will happen – is delay for the sake of delay.

Like many other U.S. states, demand for electricity in Nevada is growing. We need investments in our power grid to keep up with rising demand and maintain reliability. And in Nevada, it only makes sense for large-scale solar and energy storage projects to be a big part of the solution.

Thankfully, the outcome for the Libra Solar Project is a strong signal that other major investments in Nevada’s energy infrastructure can and will move through the federal permitting process.

And when they do get approved, the economic impacts for the state economy will be something to behold.

Assemblymember Gregory S. Koenig is the Republican Assistant Minority Floor Leader North and represents District 38.

New Study: Utah’s Rural Renewable Energy Projects Represent $8.4 Billion in Construction and Investment Activity

The Western Way today released a comprehensive economic impact study showing that utility-scale renewable energy development has become one of the most significant economic forces in Utah’s rural communities, representing $8.4 billion in construction and investment activity from 2007 through 2028.

The study, conducted by the Crossroads Economics Center at Weber State University, analyzed 41 utility-scale solar, wind and geothermal projects across Utah. It found that these projects have supported more than 34,600 job-years of employment statewide, generated $5.2 billion in total construction-period economic output, and added $3.1 billion in value to Utah’s economy.

“Utah doesn’t have a mandatory renewable portfolio standard. What we have is a state where the economics of solar, wind and geothermal energy simply work, particularly in rural areas with abundant land, strong solar resources and access to transmission infrastructure,” said Steve Handy, Utah Director for The Western Way and a former Utah state legislator. “This study puts hard numbers on what many of us in rural Utah already know: Renewable energy is an economic success story for our communities.”

The economic benefits extend well beyond the construction phase. On an annual basis, ongoing operations at these facilities support approximately 1,570 jobs, $244.6 million in economic output and $113.7 million in wages, salaries and benefits – stable, recurring contributions to the economy rather than one-time windfalls.

Key Findings

• $8.4 billion in total construction and investment activity from 41 utility-scale renewable energy projects (2007–2028)

• 34,600 job-years of employment supported statewide, including 19,300 job-years of direct onsite construction labor

• $5.2 billion in total construction-period economic output, with $3.1 billion in value added to Utah’s economy

• 1,570 ongoing jobs supported annually, with $244.6 million in economic output and $113.7 million in wages

• $865 Million in economic output and $556 million in value added from 1,170 MW of energy storage that is installed or planned.

• $33 million per year in property tax revenue funding schools, fire departments and other essential services in rural communities

• $4 million per year in land lease payments to rural landowners

• 94 percent of new electric generating capacity added in Utah since 2015 has been solar – driven by market economics, not government mandates

• 1,170 megawatts of installed and planned battery storage capacity, with storage construction supporting 6,300 additional job-years and $865 million in economic output

Market Economics, Not Mandates

Unlike many states, Utah does not have a mandatory renewable portfolio standard. The growth of renewable energy in the state has been driven by market economics and favorable local conditions, including abundant land, strong solar resources and proximity to transmission infrastructure.

“As a fiscal conservative, I believe energy decisions should be driven by economics and local conditions – not ideology,” Handy said. “The data in this study should give every policymaker, county commissioner and community leader the confidence to keep saying yes to responsible energy development, because the economic case is overwhelming.”

Strengthening Rural Economies

For rural counties that have historically relied on a narrow economic base, the fiscal impact of renewable energy development has been especially meaningful. The $33 million per year in property tax revenue is funding schools, fire departments and other essential services in communities from Beaver County to Box Elder. Land lease payments of approximately $4 million per year are providing rural landowners with additional income streams.

The study also highlights the growing role of battery energy storage, with 1,170 megawatts of installed and planned storage capacity supporting grid reliability and helping manage intermittency. Storage construction alone is estimated to support roughly 6,300 additional job-years and $865 million in economic output.

Supporting an “All of the Above” Energy Strategy

The study’s findings come as Gov. Cox’s Operation Gigawatt seeks to double Utah’s energy production over the next decade to meet surging demand from population growth, data centers, manufacturing and more. Renewable energy – alongside natural gas, nuclear, geothermal and other sources – is a critical part of meeting that goal.

The study further documented the growing potential of geothermal energy in Utah, with large projects planned in Beaver County that could substantially increase the state’s baseload renewable generation later this decade. Geothermal energy uses the same drilling technologies that made America an oil and gas superpower, providing 24/7 power with a proven technological foundation.

“The energy business has never been a zero-sum game, and in my view it never will be,” Handy said. “Utah is proving that every single day.”

The Market Is Speaking — And It’s Saying Geothermal

A new commentary from the International Energy Agency confirms what market signals have been telling us for years: advanced geothermal energy is one of the most promising investment opportunities in the American energy sector — and it’s being driven not by government mandates, but by private capital, technological innovation and surging demand for reliable power.

The IEA’s January 2026 analysis, “Investment in Next-Generation Geothermal Is Surging,” documents a remarkable acceleration of private investment into enhanced geothermal systems — technologies built on the same drilling and hydraulic fracturing expertise that made America an oil and gas superpower. According to the IEA, up to 80 percent of the investment required in a geothermal project involves skills and capacity directly transferable from existing oil and gas operations. That’s not a coincidence. It’s a competitive advantage that American energy workers are uniquely positioned to exploit.

The IEA singled out the U.S. Department of Energy’s FORGE project in Beaver County, Utah — a public-private partnership that has nearly doubled drilling rates in just a few years. FORGE collaborator Fervo Energy, which has raised over a billion dollars in private investment, has achieved drilling speeds that would have been unthinkable a short time ago. Fervo’s Cape Station project in Utah is expected to deliver power starting this year and reach 500 megawatts by 2028, making it the largest enhanced geothermal development in the world. That means hundreds of construction jobs and significant new property tax revenue for a rural community that has historically relied on a narrow economic base.

What’s powering this investment boom? The market. Technology companies like Google and Meta are signing long-term power purchase agreements with geothermal developers because they need reliable, around-the-clock energy to power the data centers essential to America’s dominance in artificial intelligence. These are hard-nosed business decisions by companies that need power they can count on 24 hours a day. Unlike solar and wind, geothermal delivers exactly that — with utilization rates above 75 percent, compared to less than 30 percent for wind and less than 15 percent for solar.

The IEA estimates that with continued cost reductions, geothermal could deliver electricity at around $50 per megawatt-hour by 2035 — making it one of the cheapest sources of reliable, low-emissions power available, competitive with hydro, nuclear and even solar paired with battery storage. That kind of price point isn’t achieved through mandates. It’s achieved through innovation and competition.

This is the “all of the above” energy strategy in action. Geothermal doesn’t replace oil and gas — it extends the same American expertise into a new frontier. It complements other energy sources, strengthens the grid with firm, dispatchable power, and creates jobs in rural communities that need them most. The IEA projects that employment in the geothermal sector could increase sixfold to one million jobs by 2030.

For policymakers, the takeaway is straightforward. The most impactful thing government can do for geothermal is streamline permitting so that projects aren’t stuck in a decade of red tape before a single well is drilled. Continued support for public-private research partnerships like FORGE — and the preservation of tax incentives for emerging technologies in President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act — keeps the playing field open for the kind of innovation that is already transforming this sector.

The energy business has never been a zero-sum game, and geothermal proves it. The market is speaking. Let’s make sure we’re listening.

Report Release: Rural, Conservative States Lead Nation in Power Grid Reliability

New TWW Report Reveals Rural, Conservative States Lead Nation in Power Grid Reliability with "All-of-the-Above" Energy Strategy

Study shows red states are 2 to 7 times more reliable than national average, with diverse generation stacks ranging from wind dominated South Dakota to natural gas and nuclear heavy Arizona

Denver, CO – January 21, 2026 – The Western Way today released a groundbreaking report showing that rural and conservative-leaning states have some of the most reliable power grids in the United States – and they're achieving this success not by choosing a single energy source, but by embracing a diverse portfolio of generation technologies.

The report, titled "Red State Reliable: How Rural America Is Keeping the Power Grid Stable with a Wide Range of Energy Sources," analyzed 10 states – Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming – and found their grids to be 2 to 7 times more reliable than the national average, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI).

"Sometimes the debate over U.S. energy policy feels more like a shouting match, instead of a factual discussion about how to meet the nation's rapidly growing needs," said Greg Brophy, Rural Energy Network Director of The Western Way. "But outside the competing echo chambers on the left and the right, a quiet success story is unfolding in America's rural – and yes, more politically conservative – communities."

The report reveals there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to grid reliability. South Dakota, the nation's second most reliable state, generates 58% of its power from wind, while Arizona, ranked third, relies primarily on natural gas (45%) and nuclear (27%). Despite vastly different generation stacks, both states maintain power availability above 99.98% of the time.

"It turns out that keeping the lights on isn't about picking a side. It's about picking all the energy sources that can deliver affordable and reliable electricity based on local conditions," Brophy wrote.

The report comes as the demand for energy is growing at unprecedented levels.  An analysis from the U.S. Department of Energy acknowledges that meeting projected 2030 electricity demand will require 336 gigawatts of new capacity – including significant contributions from wind, solar and battery storage alongside baseload generation.

"The lesson from states like South Dakota and Arizona is that energy decisions cannot be made based on broad-brush national arguments," Brophy noted. "As we face a future of higher demand, no energy source should be sidelined because of rhetoric that doesn't reflect conditions on the ground. A stable power grid requires a mix of energy sources working together as efficiently as possible – in other words, 'all of the above.'"

Key findings from the report include:

• The rural states reviewed achieve 99.95% to 99.99% power reliability, compared to the U.S. average of 99.88%

• States with more renewables like wind and solar can have the same or better reliability than states with more baseload sources like coal and nuclear

• Wind and solar have been successfully integrated into generation stacks without sacrificing reliability, thanks to complementary sources like natural gas and battery storage

• Pursuing a wider range of energy sources enhances reliability by giving grid operators more generation assets to keep the lights on

• Power generation projects should be evaluated based on unique state and local conditions rather than national political debates

"If we truly care about keeping the lights on, let's stop fighting over the "right" kind of energy and embrace the idea of building a grid that uses it all," Brophy concluded.

The full report is available at: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5734cf71b6aa60fb98e91bf2/t/696ecf139a34ff0e189e5708/1768869651471/TWW_Red+State+Reliable_FINAL+1-19-26.pdf

Skyrocketing growth of energy storage is making the U.S. power grid more reliable

This piece from TWW’s Andy Tobin was published in the AZCentral on January 15, 2026 and can be accessed here.

The business of running America’s power grid is astonishingly complex, for two principal reasons.

First, there are thousands of power plants and millions of miles of transmission and distribution lines, which together serve hundreds of millions of residential and commercial customers.

Second, the amount of electricity being generated at one end of the power grid, and the amount being consumed at the other end of the power grid, must always be equal. This delicate balance must be maintained every second of every hour of every day, or else the power grid will fail. 

Therefore, the professionals who run local, state and regional power systems are constantly working to make sure the right mix of power plants are up and running – and to make sure that transmission and distribution lines can move all that electricity safely from state to state, city to city, block to block, and house to house.

By now, you may be wondering: Wouldn’t those jobs be a little bit easier, and the grid a lot more stable, if you could store electricity and use it later, instead of having to consume it the moment it’s produced?

You’re not alone. In fact, for decades, many power grid professionals and a growing number of technology developers have been working on large-scale battery storage – and that technology is really starting to hit its stride.

In 2018, less than one gigawatt of battery storage was connected to the U.S. power grid. By 2025, however, the U.S. surpassed 30 gigawatts of battery storage capacity. Arizona ranks third in the nation for installed battery storage and is forecasted to almost double our capacity to nearly 8 GW by the end of the year.

And according to energy analytics firm Wood Mackenzie, another 93 gigawatts of battery storage should be built over the next five years across the country.

Some of that growth can be explained by the continuation of tax incentives for energy storage under President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. In fact, the Wood Mackenzie forecast jumped by 15% compared to what was expected before the bill passed in the summer of 2025.

But a far bigger driver is the falling cost of battery storage technologies. Most of those technologies are industrial-scale versions of the lithium-ion batteries that power our cell phones, laptops and other everyday electronics.

And for the past decade, the cost of lithium-ion batteries for grid storage has fallen by an average of 8 percent per year. When you look at a wider range of energy storage technologies, the costs fell by 31 percent last year, according to analysts with BloombergNEF.

Not surprisingly, as costs fall, the reliability benefits of energy storage are becoming more appealing to utility companies, businesses and power grid operators.

In fact, a closely watched report on the stability of the North American power grid recently found that “reliability improvements were observed in areas with high concentrations of battery energy storage systems,” even as the wider system was strained by growing demand from data centers and the impacts of severe weather events.

This makes perfect sense when you think about it. Now that electricity demand in America is growing again, power grid operators need as many backup sources as they can get their hands on.

Yes, we need to build the data centers that will keep America dominant in the development of artificial intelligence. And yes, bringing home as much manufacturing capacity from overseas is a must.

But the American public does not – and will never – support the idea of blackouts due to an overburdened power grid. Rather than make do with a limited number of energy sources, they are quite simply demanding more.

This is why the outlook for energy storage, along with many other power sources in America, remains so strong. And, if our leaders have the good sense to follow market signals and some common sense, the end product will be a growing power grid that is more reliable than ever.

Andy Tobin is former speaker of the Arizona House and a former member of the Arizona Corporation Commission. He is president and owner of Tobin Business Solutions LLC and director of The Western Way’s Arizona Rural Energy Network. Reach him on X, formerly Twitter, @Andy_Tobin.

Goodman: Growth, quality of life and energy

This piece from Pinal County, AZ Supervisor Mike Goodman first ran in the Pinal Central on December 26, 2025 and can be accessed here.

Goodman: Growth, quality of life and energy

If you want to understand why our quality of life in Arizona continues to improve while our population continues to grow, energy is a big part of the answer.

For years, local and state officials have been applying Arizona’s pro-business attitude on other economic inputs — such as low taxes, commonsense regulations and a skilled workforce — to the energy that makes businesses run. From nuclear to solar, hydropower to natural gas, Arizona communities have an open attitude toward energy sources, and that makes them a magnet for new investment and jobs.

In just the past few years, Pinal County’s approach to energy has been a major factor in attracting major investments from the likes of LG Energy Solution, Kohler and Procter & Gamble. This approach has also supported the expansion of local small businesses and the creation of good-paying jobs that make communities attractive for working families.

For this reason, planning for future energy needs of our community and the local economy is a major priority for me as a member of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors. Recently, our board held a work session with officials from Arizona Public Service and SRP, the two major power providers for our region. It was a frank discussion about the region’s energy needs and how to go about meeting those needs.

APS is predicting a 40% increase in electricity demand in its service territory over the next six years. For its part, SRP predicts growth of 6% per year over the next decade — roughly double their current levels of demand. There is only one way to hit those kinds of numbers and keep electricity reliable and affordable — build as much new energy infrastructure as you can. And that appears to be what APS and SRP are doing. This includes natural gas turbines and pipelines to keep them supplied with fuel, solar energy and battery storage, and transmission lines to move electricity from where it’s generated to where it’s consumed.

Looking longer term, in the next decade and beyond, it also means a new generation of civilian nuclear reactors that are much smaller than reactors at the Palo Verde station — similar to those that have powered U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and submarines for decades. Nuclear will be another tool in our toolbox as we look to achieve balance in energy production. But in the short-term, both utilities also agreed that keeping the grid stable and electricity affordable will require more solar and battery storage projects.

With an “all of the above” generation mix, solar and battery projects in Arizona “stabilize energy prices” and “strengthen grid stability” by harnessing our state’s abundant sunshine, SRP Senior Manager of Resource Planning Bill McClellan told the board.

We have seen an increase of solar and battery projects in Pinal County, along with other energy-related investments, because we have good existing infrastructure, available land and proximity to some of the state’s most attractive and fastest growing communities.

Besides more reliable and affordable electricity, energy investments also benefit our communities in other ways, especially when it comes to funding essential public services. In Pinal County alone, SRP paid almost $36 million in property taxes last year, which provided funding for schools, fire departments and local law enforcement, among other needs. This is because generation facilities, power lines, electrical substations and other pieces of energy infrastructure have a high dollar value and add significantly to the county’s tax base.

I am hopeful that APS and SRP will more regularly communicate with the public about how fast energy demand is growing and what it will take to meet that demand. I shared that concern with APS and SRP during the work session and I hope they’ll act on it. Too often, it’s left to local officials to explain the merits of a proposed energy project, if they get explained at all. That’s a losing strategy that could cost Pinal County — and the rest of Arizona — its competitive edge. You can hardly blame people for opposing a project when they don’t know how it benefits their community and the rest of the state.

It’s also imperative that new energy developments work with surrounding residents to discuss improvements to roads and infrastructure in the area. These new facilities should preserve our beautiful landscapes and views. There is much that can be done to enhance existing communities and blend in, rather than take away from the environment we are so proud of.

Arizonans are smart and they’re pragmatic. They don’t take their quality of life for granted and they will do what is needed to maintain it. They just need all the relevant facts — and here in Pinal County, we need to deliver those facts to our citizens.

———

Mike Goodman, R-San Tan Valley, is a member of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors.

Keeping the lights on starts with fixing how we build

This piece from TWW’s Steve Handy was first published by The Deseret News on December 19, 2025 and can be accessed here.

Opinion: Keeping the lights on starts with fixing how we build

The problem isn’t a lack of investment or innovation. Our current system makes building unnecessarily difficult

Published: Dec 19, 2025

By Steve Handy

Steve is a former state legislator and the Utah director for The Western Way, an organization focused on market-competitive solutions to environmental and conservation challenges.

Energy reliability isn’t something most people think about until it’s gone. Families expect the lights to turn on, the air conditioning to work and their bills to stay within reach. But as demand for power rises and the grid struggles to keep pace, those expectations are harder to meet.

Communities across the country and here in Utah are feeling the strain. Population growth, new industries, the rise of AI and reshoring manufacturing have all pushed energy systems to their limits. Utilities and developers are ready to expand and modernize, but too often, the process for getting projects approved takes much longer than building the projects themselves.

In Utah, Operation Gigawatt is Gov. Cox’s comprehensive strategy to meet this rising demand by doubling the state’s energy production within the next decade. The strategy seeks to leverage an “all-of-the-above” energy portfolio and build out much-needed transmission upgrades.

Just as important as what gets built is how fast it gets built. The problem isn’t a lack of investment or innovation. Our current system makes building unnecessarily difficult. Every major energy project must pass through a maze of overlapping agencies and reviews, each with its own timeline and requirements. Even after meeting every standard, projects can be delayed by lawsuits or paperwork that add little value.

A stronger approach would focus on results instead of procedure. Smart permitting reform would:

• Set clear timelines so decisions come on schedule, not years late.

• Give one agency the responsibility to coordinate reviews and keep projects moving.

• Streamline smaller upgrades to free up resources for larger, high-impact projects.

• Provide a fair but final review process to prevent endless legal delays once standards are met.

These steps wouldn’t weaken oversight but rather would make it work as intended. When projects that meet every rule can move forward with confidence, everyone benefits. New transmission lines can reduce congestion, modern power plants can replace aging facilities and communities can count on steady, affordable energy.

Reliable energy is about more than comfort. It’s about safety and security. Hospitals, schools and emergency services depend on steady power. So do manufacturers, small businesses and the households that keep them running. When the grid falters, it’s not a political problem; it’s a community problem.

Modernizing the permitting process would also help America stay competitive. Other countries are expanding their energy capacity faster than we are simply because their approval systems move with urgency. The longer we wait to update ours, the harder it becomes to meet demand or attract new investment at home.

The government should be part of the solution. By setting clear expectations and reducing duplication, lawmakers can empower private industry to deliver the infrastructure our economy needs. A predictable process encourages competition, creates jobs and saves taxpayers money.

Each state can take the lead. By reforming local permitting laws, state leaders can send a clear message that they’re open for business and ready to build. That means faster upgrades, stronger grids and lower energy costs for families.

Energy reliability should never be taken for granted. It is the foundation of a strong economy and secure communities. Fixing how we permit projects is one of the simplest and most effective ways to keep energy affordable and dependable for the next generation.

It’s time to move past red tape and focus on results. Streamlining the process will help every household, every business and every community keep the lights on.

A Pro-Business Pause for Energy and Data Center Projects in Logan County

This piece from TWW’s Greg Brophy was first published by the Sterling Journal-Advocate and can be accessed here.

A Pro-Business Pause for Energy and Data Center Projects in Logan County 

By Greg Brophy | December 16, 2025

Less than a year into President Trump’s second term, the scale of investment and construction in the nation’s energy and technology sectors is staggering.

The Trump administration is aggressively pursuing two related goals: The need to upgrade America’s aging energy infrastructure and the need for America – not China – to win the global race for artificial intelligence (AI).

This has unleashed a wave of investment in the power grid and the data centers that support AI, data storage and cloud computing. And the most attractive places to build those data centers are regions with an all-of-the-above inventory of energy sources, especially natural gas, wind and solar.

This has made Western states like Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona and Texas extremely attractive to data centers and energy infrastructure projects. Within Colorado, the Eastern Plains is a major sweet spot, because of our long history combining oil and natural gas development with renewables like wind and solar.

But for local communities, this wave of investment – while welcome – can be overwhelming. The Trump-fueled construction boom in both energy and technology looks and feels different than past waves of investment, and local rules governing siting and permitting may need updating.

That was the thinking behind a six-month permitting pause announced in October by the Logan County Commission in Eastern Colorado.

The pause applies to approvals for data centers, battery storage facilities, and wind and solar farms that local regulations governing these projects can be updated if needed.

During the debate on the pause, the commissioners made a point of saying they are not anti-development. Data center and energy investment in Logan County is welcome and the developers behind these projects will have a seat at the table when the regulations are updated, just as they should.

This pro-business approach makes a lot of sense. Besides the jobs these projects will create, hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investment will grow the country’s property tax base, boosting funding for a host of essential services, including public schools, water districts, hospitals and law enforcement agencies.

The commissioners also said they will try to keep the pause as short as possible. The update for data centers and battery storage facilities will be worked on first, with wind and solar to follow. As each set of local regulations are updated, the pause will be lifted.

The commitment to moving quickly is reassuring. In other parts of the state, far-left groups have used permitting pauses as the first step toward effective bans on energy sources they oppose, especially oil and natural gas development.

Thankfully, Logan County is a pro-growth, common-sense community where the “bait and switch” tactics of the far left have no place.

For an example of how Logan County’s approach can deliver better outcomes for all stakeholders, I recommend taking a look at another rural county on the other side of the state in Western Colorado.

Back in early 2024, Mesa County officials were facing a major increase in permitting requests for solar energy facilities, and the existing land-use regulations just weren’t fit for purpose.

County commissioners implemented a six-month pause to update those regulations – and actually got the job done in four months. 

In that time, Mesa County brought forward some of the best solar permitting regulations in the state, including a streamlined “use by right” approval process for property owners that enforces siting, design and construction requirements without the need for lengthy rezoning and waiver hearings.

It was a positive example of serious and thoughtful permitting reforms that other rural communities, including Logan County, could easily adapt to their own local needs.

President Trump’s goals of energy and AI dominance are a massive opportunity for investment in rural America. Smart updates to local siting and permitting regulations can make sure community support for these projects remains strong and the benefits from these projects are long lasting.

That seems to the be the approach that Logan County is taking, and I cannot wait to see the results.

​​Greg Brophy is a former state legislator from the Eastern Plains who now operates The Western Way, a conservative group that promotes land-use issues and energy development.

Inside Sources with Sen. Curtis and Steve Handy

TWW’s Steve Handy had the chance to join the radio show Inside Sources to talk with U.S. Senator John Curtis about Utah’s energy landscape and the importance of permitting reform.

A bipartisan blueprint for Nevada’s energy future: Geothermal delivers

This piece from Nevada Assemblymembers Rich DeLong and Erica Roth ran in the Reno Gazette Journal on November 12th and can be accessed here.

A bipartisan blueprint for Nevada’s energy future: Geothermal delivers | Opinion

Erica Roth and Rich DeLong

Earlier this month, we stood together at the Steamboat Hills Geothermal Complex in Washoe County, a facility operated by Ormat Technologies Inc. We both subscribe to two fundamental principles that cross party lines: Nevada requires clean, secure power, and Nevada requires strong, secure jobs. What we saw at Steamboat Hills, a plant based on more than 30 years of successful history, is a great model of how geothermal power provides on both.

Our visit highlighted the future of American energy. While solar is an essential piece of Nevada’s clean energy puzzle, the most critical element of this facility is reliability. Geothermal provides "always on," base-load power around the clock. This perpetual, natural resource is a pillar of grid stability, offering energy independence and a truly resilient system capable of supporting our growing economy.

The economic and community dividends are just as persuasive, demonstrating how clean energy technology can be a cornerstone of regional wealth. In Nevada alone, Ormat owns 13 geothermal plants with 483 MW of capacity. This massive complex employs nearly 400 highly skilled professionals right here in the state—high-tech, full-time jobs that support Nevada families throughout the region. In addition, these activities have a strong foundation in our society, producing more than $30 million per year in taxes, royalties, and other important economic payments, directly contributing to our state budget and local communities.

This accomplishment is the product of good environmental practice, demonstrating the company's "Full Commitment" to the future in a responsible manner. The Steamboat Hills plant employs state-of-the-art air-cooled binary technology, with the geothermal fluid circulated through a closed, sealed loop system. This method of utilizing the earth's heat economically, while taking good care to safeguard our precious groundwater resources and reduce surface disturbance. This dedication to "Constant Renewal" and sound environmental stewardship is evidence that economic vitality, technological advancement, and environmental stewardship can, and must, coexist.

The Steamboat Hills Complex is a crystal-clear bipartisan victory. It's a homegrown, financially robust energy answer that anchors our grid and sets us on the way toward a cleaner future. By growing our own natural, renewable resources, Nevada is building a strong, long-term energy economy for generations to come.

America is facing an energy crunch and we have to build our way out

The following piece from Weld County Commissioner Scott James originally ran in the Greeley Tribune on November 7, 2025 and can be accessed here.

Scott James: America is facing an energy crunch and we have to build our way out

By SCOTT JAMES

November 7, 2025 at 6:20 AM MST

After decades of stagnant growth, the demand for energy in America is surging again.

A major driver is the return of manufacturing, after decades of offshoring, thanks to President Trump negotiating new trade and investment deals with other countries. An even bigger reason is America’s determination to win the global race for dominance in artificial intelligence (AI).

The rise of AI and the growing use of cloud computing by businesses and individuals is fueling a boom in data center construction across the country. In the short term, all those new data centers will need a staggering amount of electricity to power their operations – roughly 150-400 terawatt hours per year by 2028, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

In practical terms, that could mean building more new power plants than currently exist in California, Oregon and Washington state in the space of just a few years.

The construction of data centers, power plants, transmission lines, pipelines and other kinds of energy infrastructure could be a gamechanger for the U.S. economy, and especially rural America.

But none of it – none – can happen without every individual project and piece of infrastructure getting a federal permit of some kind.

And there we have a problem. Despite several attempts at reform, America’s permitting system for major construction projects is still woefully inefficient. It’s even been weaponized by fringe activist groups to block commonsense infrastructure projects that would be permitted in a heartbeat by other countries.

There are many cases where permitting reviews that could be completed in months but are taking years instead, and it’s destroying our ability to stay ahead of countries like China.  Just look at the 15 years it took to permit the 700-mile TransWest transmission line. The madness has to stop.

This is why the work of Republican Congressman Gabe Evans of Colorado, a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, deserves to be highlighted.

Congressman Evans worked with three other members of the caucus from California, Pennsylvania and New York to develop a series of reforms to the U.S. permitting system that are badly overdue.

Some highlights of the Evans framework for permitting reform include:

• Speed up permitting through clear and enforceable deadlines for agency decisions and court challenges.

• Replace outdated paper systems with centralized digital platforms and online portals, which will reduce delays and increase public transparency.

• Eliminate duplicative environmental reviews and court challenges for pipeline and transmission line projects that ask and answer the same questions over and over. 

• Take politics out of cross-border infrastructure projects – like the Keystone XL pipeline, which was killed by former president Joe Biden on his first day in office – by removing the White House from the formal approval process.

The framework isn’t about reducing environmental safeguards – it’s about giving those safeguards a chance to actually work by allowing well-designed and environmentally responsible projects to enter construction.

“We have to make sure that we can navigate our own regulatory environment to be able to build these things here in the United States with some of the best and most environmentally and socially responsible guidelines, really anywhere on the planet,” Congressman Evans told Colorado Public Radio.

The new reality of American energy demand will require every energy technology we can muster, including solar, battery storage, natural gas turbines, geothermal, wind, and nuclear – and the reforms being pushed by Congressman Evans and his bipartisan allies will help all of those energy sources move through the permitting process faster.

Without these projects, our nation is staring down the barrel of a less reliable energy system and more expensive energy. That’s bad enough on its own, but failure to build will also hand victory in the global AI race to China, which is notorious for building things fast with few, if any, safeguards.

Like it or not, whichever nation wins the AI race will have the best weapons and control the flow of information in an increasingly digital world. Losing is not an option, and as a country, it’s time we started acting like it.

Senator John Curtis Hosts Fourth Annual Conservative Climate Summit

Senator John Curtis (R-UT) recently hosted the Fourth Annual Conservative Climate Summit at the University of Utah, bringing together policymakers—including Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright—business leaders, researchers, and community stakeholders to discuss practical, market-driven solutions to Utah's natural resource challenges.

The summit focused on addressing Utah's growing water demand, wildfire risk, and energy needs through innovation and conservative principles of stewardship, featuring conversations on renewables, nuclear, geothermal, and forest management. TWW’s Steve Handy moderated a panel on issues facing Utah’s agricultural producers.

"The Conservative Climate Summit continues to show that conservatives are leading with practical, durable solutions for our environment and economy," Curtis said. "Utahns care deeply about clean air, healthy forests, and reliable, affordable energy—and we know those goals are not in conflict."

Senator Curtis founded the Conservative Climate Caucus in 2021 based on the premise that the best environmental solutions come from innovation, not regulation; from markets, not mandates. His "all-of-the-above" energy approach emphasizes that a strong economy and healthy environment are compatible and inseparable.