At the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) annual meeting in Santa Fe, Utah Governor Spencer Cox launched an ambitious new initiative titled “Energy Superabundance: Unlocking Prosperity in the West.” Taking over as WGA Chair from New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Cox outlined his vision to address one of the greatest challenges facing the United States today: rapidly growing energy demand.
“It’s been nearly 50 years since we’ve had this kind of moment: rising demand, available capital, and the political will to build,” Governor Cox told fellow governors. “And that’s exactly what we intend to do.”
Meeting Soaring Energy Demand
The initiative comes at a critical time. Experts forecast that U.S. energy demand will rise by over 50% before 2035, driven by the proliferation of artificial intelligence data centers, electric vehicles, and advanced manufacturing. Cox’s campaign seeks to harness this moment by expanding energy production, modernizing outdated transmission infrastructure, and supporting advanced generation technologies, including nuclear and geothermal.
A Regional, Bipartisan Approach
One of the most striking elements of Cox’s plan is its emphasis on regional cooperation across party lines. As he noted, “When you have blue governors working on their delegation and red governors working on their delegation, we could actually get some things accomplished that haven’t been accomplished in a long time.”
The West, home to vast natural resources and innovation hubs, is uniquely positioned to lead. However, Cox and other leaders argue that outdated federal permitting processes and regulatory hurdles have stymied progress for too long. The Energy Superabundance initiative intends to push Congress for permitting reforms to unlock stalled projects and unleash a new era of American energy dominance.
Building on ‘Operation Gigawatt’
In Utah, Cox has already made energy expansion a signature priority through his “Operation Gigawatt” plan, aiming to double the state’s energy production within the next decade. This includes partnerships with Idaho and Wyoming to explore nuclear energy, the launch of a nuclear consortium, and an $8 million investment in identifying future reactor sites.
Through his WGA initiative, Cox hopes to scale these state-level successes across the West, ensuring that the region is prepared for the demands of a high-tech, electrified economy.
What’s Next
The Energy Superabundance campaign will kick off with a governors’ meeting at Idaho National Laboratory this September to explore cutting-edge nuclear research and discuss collaborative solutions. As South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden put it, “I think it’s kind of a perfect scenario to set up a public-private relationship … and get past some of the partisan politics.”
In an era of deep political divides, Cox’s initiative seeks to unite Western states behind a shared goal: building a more reliable, affordable, and secure energy future for America.