In a report from the Western Governors' Association, several key developments across the Western United States were highlighted, ranging from a surge in the geothermal industry to new renewable energy and nuclear power initiatives. The report noted significant milestones for geothermal energy, the launch of a regional geothermal consortium, and progress in sustainable energy conferences and forest management studies.
The geothermal industry has seen substantial growth, highlighted by Fervo Energy's initial public offering which raised nearly $2 billion. Fervo Energy's shares have risen 42% to reach a market capitalization of $12.4 billion. The company's Cape Station project in Utah is expected to begin delivering power to customers in October, with two additional units scheduled to come online in January. Fervo Energy currently holds 658 megawatts of power-purchase agreements with entities such as Google and Southern California Edison.
During the WGA’s Energy Superabundance workshop in Salt Lake City, the Mountain West Geothermal Consortium was officially launched. The consortium includes Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, and aims to support geothermal power buildout to unlock hundreds of gigawatts of clean, baseload power in the Mountain West. The launch was announced by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, WGA Executive Director Jack Waldorf, and consortium Director Michael O’Connor, alongside representatives from Zanskar and Fervo.
In Alaska, Governor Mike Dunleavy hosted the fifth annual Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, which drew nearly 1,000 industry leaders, investors, and policymakers from at least 35 U.S. states and 10 countries. The event featured a keynote discussion between Governor Dunleavy and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and resulted in energy-related agreements between the State of Alaska and the National Laboratory of the Rockies, South Korea’s POSCO, and Yukon Premier Curry Dixon.
A study from the University of California, Davis, indicated that prescribed burns and mechanical forest thinning prevented 60 premature deaths and avoided $2.8 billion in damages in the western US over a seven-year period. The study found that these treatments curtailed the release of 2.7 million tons of carbon dioxide and that every dollar invested in fuels treatment yielded $3.73 in benefits.
The SunZia project, the largest renewable energy project built in the US, has started generating power. This 3.5-gigawatt project uses 916 turbines in New Mexico to send wind power via a 550-mile transmission line to consumers in California and Arizona, potentially supplying 3 million people.
Additionally, the Air Force has selected Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado and Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana for the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations initiative. The program aims to have at least one advanced nuclear reactor operating at an Air Force facility by 2030 or sooner. Michael Borders, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations and Environment, stated that integrating advanced nuclear technology is intended to ensure critical national security missions are not at risk from power outages.
The Western Governors' Association continues to provide updates on these and other regional developments, including previous initiatives such as the Heat Beneath Our Feet report from Governor Jared Polis' 2023 term as WGA Chair.
