Happy Friday from #OneUtah, a weekly update from the office of Gov. Spencer J. Cox. Reply to this email with any questions or suggestions regarding the newsletter. And thank you for subscribing!

Energy innovation in Utah

Utah’s no stranger to energy leadership, and there’s no better place to build the next-generation geothermal energy industry than our state! 

This week, Cape Station, the world’s largest commercial next-generation geothermal energy project, broke ground in Beaver County. This project will bring clean power, hundreds of jobs and billions of dollars to Utah. Cape Station will play a critical role in furthering Utah’s energy leadership by delivering 400 MW of clean, firm power and rapidly accelerating the energy transition across the western U.S. 

Utah is the place for energy innovation!

Visiting Utah’s federal delegation

We were in Washington, D.C. this week ahead of the possible government shutdown and had the opportunity to meet with members of Utah’s federal delegation. Keeping our parks open and Utah families on WIC programs is of paramount importance to our administration, and we’re glad to hear it is important to the federal delegation as well. 

Thank you for having us, Sen. Lee, Sen. Romney and Rep. Curtis!

Welcoming Hungary to Utah

We were honored to welcome Her Excellency Katalin Novák, president of Hungary, to Utah this week. Utah has strong diplomatic ties with many countries, including Hungary. Utah and Hungary share a strong commitment to creating family-friendly policies and bolstering strong economies. We were able to discuss many Utah priorities with President Novák, including our youth mental health initiatives, first-time homebuyer assistance program and child care programs. President Novák shared similar issues the people of Hungary are facing, including affordable housing and family-friendly workforce policies. 

We’re grateful for the visit and we look forward to strengthening the bonds between our governments and people.

More international visitors

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson met with dignitaries from Switzerland, El Salvador, Pakistan, Ukraine, Myanmar, and Italy this week. She loves introducing people to Utah’s robust economy and beautiful settings. We value our relationships with these partners from across the globe. 

The Lt. Gov. also met with Her Excellency Fiamé NaoMi Mata’afa, Prime Minister of the Independent State of Samoa. As the first female Prime Minister of Samoa, she shared her unique perspective of her leadership role. 

Recognizing Fire Sense

Utah was honored with the bronze level of the Smokey Bear Award last week during the National Association of State Foresters annual meeting in Louisiana. The Smokey Bear Award recognizes those behind the state's “Fire Sense” campaign and the efforts to reduce wildfires in the great state of Utah since the campaign launched in 2021.

Congratulations, Fire Sense, on receiving this well deserved recognition! You can read more here, and learn more about Fire Sense here.

It’s budget season

Each year leadership from across the state government presents their budget proposals to be included in the Governor’s budget request to the Legislature. Lt. Gov. Henderson met with 31 agencies this week to hear their requests. Here we are with DHHS Executive Director, Tracy Gruber, and staff talking about their budget. We also talked about how to keep families supported that rely on federal programs like WIC through a government shutdown.

Thank you staff from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget for your hard work!

Fall-ing for autumn in Utah 

Scenic byways are a great way to explore the fall colors of Utah, and our state is home to 28 scenic byways, 11 of which Visit Utah highlights for supreme fall foliage viewing. Utah’s wide array of forests, state and national parks, all located at different elevations, make for diverse fall colors due to varying elevations and rain levels. 

Visit Utah recommends mid-September to early-October to see the leaves at their peak. Learn more about how you can visit these scenic byways here. 

ICYMI

• Small businesses play a crucial role in building Utah’s economy and our sense of community. It was a pleasure to welcome small business owners from across Utah to the Governor’s Mansion this week.

Coming up

Get involved!

Looking for a new job opportunity? From great employee benefits to versatile work schedules, the career opportunities with the state are truly endless. Join Team Utah today! 

Those looking to volunteer can also consider more than 300 boards and commissions. Find out which openings are available and how you can get involved here!

Get in touch!