POLICY CHECKLIST
ENERGY
Increase energy production capacity
Pursue advanced nuclear power
TRANSPORTATION
Build infrastructure to prepare for the future
WATER
Plan, prioritize, and build water infrastructure
Establish a clear plan for meeting current and future water needs
Building robust infrastructure is critical as Utah continues to experience rapid population growth. Our record growth is straining the state’s transportation networks and aging water infrastructure.
Through foresight and wise investments, Utah can maintain its quality of life, foster economic growth, and ensure a resilient and thriving state for generations to come.
ENERGY
INCREASE ENERGY PRODUCTION CAPACITY
Electricity demand is skyrocketing across the country and in Utah. Yet federal regulators and neighboring states are doing all they can to shut down Utah’s reliable and affordable power. To keep Utah residents’ power bills among the lowest in the country, we will maintain our state’s existing power generation and support additional sources of stable, affordable, and reliable power.
PURSUE ADVANCED NUCLEAR POWER
New advancements in nuclear power are beginning to be deployed and hold significant promise to meet many of our energy demands with a much smaller footprint than any other energy source. By fostering an advanced nuclear energy industry in our state, Utah will be ready for the energy needs of tomorrow.
NUCLEAR POWER USES SIGNIFICANTLY LESS LAND THAN OTHER CLEAN ENERGY SOURCES. THE AMOUNT OF LAND REQUIRED TO PRODUCE ALL THE ELECTRICITY USED IN UTAH WOULD BE:
Nuclear power uses significantly less land than other clean energy sources.
TRANSPORTATION
BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE
Utahns rely on our transportation system to safely, efficiently, and economically get them where they want when they want. Our Unified Transportation Plan that guides transportation investments has won national awards for identifying the state’s most critical needs and executing projects that improve the lives of Utahns. We will continue to build and pursue federal investment in Utah’s multimodal transportation infrastructure to keep our state moving today and for years to come.
Personal vehicles take up the vast majority of space on our roads. By increasing transit capabilities and frequency, Utah can reduce traffic and create more space on our roads.
FrontRunner strategic double tracking will make peak hour trips from Ogden to Provo 23 minutes faster than driving on I-15 and will reduce vehicle miles traveled by 20 million annually, according to UDOT’s 2040 projections.
WATER
PLAN, PRIORITIZE, AND BUILD WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
As Utah’s population and economy grow, the state faces significant hurdles to secure reliable water resources for the future. The State Water Plan forecasts that Utah and its municipal water providers will need to invest an estimated $60 billion on repair and replacement, conservation, and new supply projects. These investments will be essential to maintaining our agriculture production and high quality of life.
ESTABLISH A CLEAR PLAN FOR MEETING CURRENT AND FUTURE WATER NEEDS
Utahns benefit from the foresight and planning of previous leaders who built large-scale reservoirs, pipelines, and other water infrastructure projects. However, this worn-out infrastructure is failing to keep up with population growth. Water will be a limiting factor to growth in our state as our population steadily increases.
Similar to UDOT’s infrastructure funding structure, Utah will create a framework for prioritizing water infrastructure projects to address the state’s greatest needs.