News

Western Governors recognize that high energy prices are affecting residents in their states, and they are working to bring those prices down and prevent spikes in the future.  

For one, Utah Governor Spencer Cox launched his Energy Superabundance Chair initiative with WGA this year to address rapidly rising energy demand. Governor Cox is preparing the West for massive energy demand from sectors like AI, which could result in large price spikes for ratepayers if we don’t quickly build new energy sources.  

According to the International Energy Agency, data center growth and AI demand is set to consume more electricity in 2030 than all of the combined manufacturing of energy-intensive goods like steel, aluminum, and chemicals. That level of growth must be met by growth in energy production to avoid passing costs on to western residents.  

An important piece of the West’s energy future will be nuclear power, which Governor Cox, Idaho Governor Brad Little, and national nuclear energy experts discussed earlier this week at the Idaho National Laboratory for Governor Cox’s WGA Chair initiative.  

In addition to discussing solutions to supply chain questions, workforce challenges, public and private investment needs, and much more, Governor Little signed an executive order to establish the Idaho Advanced Nuclear Energy Task Force. The move will ensure Idaho’s continued leadership in nuclear energy innovation and development.  

To watch each discussion from this week’s nuclear energy workshop, head over to WGA’s YouTube channel.  

Along with spurring growth from new energy sources, Western Governors are passing important laws in their states to lower energy bills for their constituents.  

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that more than 11.5 million households will see refunds on their electric bills next month through the California Climate Credit. The announcement comes on the heels of sweeping bipartisan reforms that the Governor signed into law last week to save California families up to $60 billion on electricity bills while stabilizing the gasoline supply and cutting emissions.  

In Montana, Governor Greg Gianforte convened the first meeting of his Energy Task Force this week. The Task Force is responsible for providing the Governor with recommendations and strategies for increasing affordable and reliable energy to meet increasing demand. 

Last week in Arizona, Governor Katie Hobbs signed an executive order to streamline and expedite processes for energy infrastructure development on state land. The EO will help cut red tape, unlock more energy in Arizona, and lower energy costs for residents.  

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek also signed a series of bipartisan bills recently to lower energy costs for households and expand assistance for low-income Oregonians.  

“Too many Oregonians are struggling with high energy bills,” Governor Kotek said. “These four bills will help lower costs, make utilities more accountable, and ensure that households — not big energy users — come first. Every Oregonian deserves reliable, affordable energy, and this legislation moves us closer to that goal.” 

Govs discuss pragmatism over polarization: last week, WGA Chair, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, and WGA Immediate Past Chair, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, sat down for a conversation about working together and overcoming polarization.

The event was hosted by the University of Notre Dame Democracy Initiative, which is working to foster productive conversations about democracy at home and abroad.  

“We need to invigorate debate again,” said Governor Cox. “What you often find is [that] we have more in common than we thought. Let’s work on those things.”  

“This polarization has taught us: ‘I don't want anything to do with what’s going on in Utah.’” said Governor Lujan Grisham. “But Governors are learning, I think, to do better today, largely because of [Governor Cox’s] leadership. And because this moment calls out for it.” 

You can watch the full event here.  

Fat bear week: it is the long-awaited 2025 Fat Bear Week, which pits Alaska’s Katmai National Park brown bears against each other in a competition to select the fattest bear ahead of the long winter hibernation.  

Some of the largest brown bears on Earth are fattening up in preparation for winter, adding hundreds of pounds over the course of just a few months.  

You can vote for your favorite, here, including fan favorites like last year’s winner, Grazer, and runner-up, Chunk.

Racing across peaks: Kilian Jornet, one of the world’s best ultra runners, is on a mission to summit all of the 14,000-foot peaks in the continental US, entirely by human power.  

After starting at Longs Peak in Colorado on September 5, Jornet climbed all 56 14ers in the state – and cycled between each one – in just 16 days. He has now completed a 900-mile bike journey to California’s Sierra Nevada range, where he will tackle all of the state’s 14,000-foot peaks before finishing on Mt. Rainier in Washington.  

During his sprint through Colorado, Jornet ran roughly a marathon every day, in addition to 45-50 miles of biking and 16,000 feet of daily elevation gain.