Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm traveled to a Rocky Mountain Power substation in South Salt Lake Thursday morning to unveil the Biden administration’s latest efforts to build a more resilient, secure and cleaner electric grid.

“Utah is a powerhouse of a state when it comes to potentially producing, generating clean energy and then getting that energy to move to places where it’s needed and to be able to take energy as well,” Granholm said. Although the scene behind her portrayed a stillness, the tall, tapered-shaped transmission towers actively circulated high-voltage electricity through the taut wires. Granholm says she wants to bolster this grid’s capabilities and connect it to an expanded network in the West.

“Between the geothermal resources that Utah has, the wind and the sun, and now we’ve got all of this commitment to transmission,” she said, hailing the Beehive State as an “instrumental piece of the nation’s infrastructure.”

The biggest challenge to the already overextended grids across the U.S. has been a lengthy permitting process. Grid congestion cost consumers $20.8 billion in 2023, a significant increase from $13.3 billion the previous year, as reported by Grid Strategies in 2023.

Granholm’s visit coincided with the Biden administration’s decision to reform the permitting rule that will shrink the approval time for a transmission line from 10 years to two by consolidating the requirements from different federal agencies and streamlining the review process.

“We want to make transmission better,” said Granholm. This means enhancing technology while adding new lines, wires and miles to the grid. “But all of that requires cooperation with the federal government and that means permitting.”

She said ger department is focused on connecting more communities to power, taking a page out of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s book. He is hailed for championing the Rural Electrification Act, responsible for providing federal loans to establish an electrical distribution system in the 1930s.

Granholm told the story of a man from this era who wanted to have power in his home but lived outside this distribution wire’s reach. “He did what anybody reasonably would do; He built a new foundation down the road, put his house on logs and just rolled it over to the transmission,” she said jokingly. “Now, we want to do it a little bit differently.”

The energy secretary also announced a series of grants while breaking down the Biden administration’s approach to improving the power system in the Western U.S.

For Utah, specifically, Rocky Mountain Power is receiving $5.7 million to ensure the state has “resilient power” and the “ability to protect against wildfire or extreme weather events,” she said.

Granholm told reporters this will help utility companies install underground transmission lines and cover their conductors, “and that’s what Rocky Mountain Power is doing” as it considers reducing risk while wildfires rise in intensity and frequency.

Joel Ferry, the executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, noted utility companies will also be able to protect themselves against cyber threats by leveraging advanced technologies.

On the state level, the administration is propelling an interconnected web of power lines that allow electrons generated from wind and solar energy to flow from Idaho and Nevada to Utah and California.

“It’s all coming together,” she said, before diving into three transmission line projects moving power across six Western states.

The grid deployment office’s Transmission Facilitation program has $2.5 billion to disperse to developers for setting up new power lines.

The federal government reached a $330 million agreement with Cross-Tie Transmission to connect power from Utah and Nevada, Granholm said.

“We’re particularly excited because that’s going to strengthen the Utah power grid and make sure that you can access resources from all over the West,” Maria Robinson, the director of the grid deployment office told reporters.

This 214-mile line, set to go into service in 2028, will create 4,000 jobs in the Beehive State, and all workers will have to be a part of a labor union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, for this more than $1 billion project, she added.

Ed Rihn, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy Canada, said this project’s construction is expected to generate $760 million for the local economy.

Another $331 million is going toward the Southwest Intertie Project North, bridging power between Idaho and Nevada through a 285-mile line. According to a press release, this will add more than 2,000 megawatts to the grid’s capability and power 2.5 million homes.

Ashley McGeary, the communications director for Grid United, the developer for Southline, told the Deseret News after Granholm’s remarks that transmission lines “cost a lot to construct when they cover so much (area), it can be kind of risky for investors” because a utility company has to get on board to use these lines.

The Department of Energy is “the strongest backer you can ask for,” since it prompts utility companies to sign on to the new lines, she explained.

These transmission lines will connect the Western U.S. and allow electricity to flow wherever needed. “Sometimes it’s so windy in one place, and you want to be able to send that wind elsewhere,” said McGeary.

Ferry, from the Utah Department of Natural Resources, said that the Beehive State doesn’t entirely align with the Biden White House, but that doesn’t take away from the Energy Department’s announcements.

“At the crossroads of the West, Utah is always looking for opportunities. That pioneer spirit exists here in the state of Utah,” said Ferry. “Sometimes the state of Utah and the Biden administration are at odds, but it’s great to be able to come together in terms like this under common goal and common cause.”

Former President Donald Trump is set to come to Utah during the last week of June for a private campaign fundraiser, the Deseret News confirmed Thursday.

Trump’s visit is planned to take place at an undisclosed hotel in Park City where a group of wealthy individuals from across Utah will host the exclusive gathering, a source with knowledge of the event said.

Official coordination efforts for the fundraiser are being led by George Glass, a Trump campaign fundraiser and former ambassador to Portugal, and Marlon Bateman, a former Trump administration State Department official, according to sources. Both declined to comment.

Trump’s visit will come shortly after the June 25 Republican primary. Multiple candidates in Utah’s Senate race to replace Sen. Mitt Romney have actively sought or would welcome a Trump endorsement, the Deseret News previously reported.

Some prominent Utah political figures, including Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. Burgess Owens and Attorney General Sean Reyes are expected to appear at the event, the source said. The elected officials did not respond to a request for comment.

The Park City event will follow a record-breaking $50.5 million fundraiser held for Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, on April 6. In between court appearances, Trump’s high-dollar fundraising tour will also include Miami, Florida, on May 5; Lexington, Kentucky, on May 15; and Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 8, National Review reported on Tuesday.

These events, organized by the Trump 47 Committee, charged attendees between $1,000 and $844,600 depending on their level of access, according to invitations obtained by National Review. The Trump 47 Committee is a joint fundraising organization that can raise money for Trump’s Save America PAC, which can later be used for campaign needs or legal bills, The Washington Post reported.

The Republican National Committee, which directs campaign operations for the party’s prospective presidential nominee, did not respond to a request for comment before the story was published.

Trump’s appearances to the Beehive State have been few and far between. He visited Utah for his first and only campaign rally in the state in March 2016, which was met with thousands of supporters and protesters in downtown Salt Lake City.

About 1,200 people attended the Infinity Event Center to hear then-candidate Trump say “I love the Mormons” and criticize Mitt Romney, who had come out against his presidential campaign two weeks earlier.

Prior to his visit, Trump had said he would not attend the GOP’s March 21 presidential debate in Salt Lake City, leading to the cancellation of the event.

Trump visited the state on one other public occasion when he announced dramatic reductions to the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments at the state capitol

President Joe Biden attended a campaign fundraiser in Park City in August 2023. The event was hosted by Kristi and John Cumming, founder of ski resort company Powdr, and Nancy and Mark Gilbert, former U.S. ambassador.

Utah Republican candidates and delegates will convene Saturday at the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City to determine who they want on the primary ballot in June.

Utah’s junior Senate seat, the state’s four House seats and numerous statewide offices, including governor and attorney general, are all up for grabs.

State delegates, who represent neighborhood precincts, will have the final say on whether convention-only candidates receive the party’s official nomination. They will also have a chance to signal whether signature-gathering candidates have the support of the party’s base voters.

Delegates tend to be more involved in the party and also more partisan than the general Republican electorate. This year’s delegate cohort is a different crowd from past years. Around two-thirds of them were elected for the first time during Super Tuesday caucus meetings, which were combined with a presidential preference poll that attracted registered Republicans that may have not participated in party proceedings previously.

Candidates must receive at least 40% of delegate support in the April 27 convention — or have gathered 7,000 or 28,000 certified signatures — to advance to the June 25 primary election.

Here’s a preview of the gubernatorial, congressional and attorney general races. We broke down the Senate convention competition here.

Gubernatorial race

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox faces four Republican challengers in his first reelection test. State Rep. Phil Lyman, former state GOP chair Carson Jorgensen, Bountiful business owner Sylvia Miera-Fisk and Marine Corps artillery officer Scott Robbins have attacked Cox for not being conservative enough for deep-red Utah.

Cox has already qualified for the GOP primary by gathering 28,000 certified signatures. The other three candidates will be making their electoral appeal directly to delegates.

During his first four years, Cox presided over legislation banning abortion, limiting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, banning transgender students in female sports, and signed the largest cumulative tax cut in Utah history. He has also led initiatives on housing affordability and homelessness in the state.

Lyman, a certified public accountant, has accused Cox of being too quick to compromise on conservative positions and of making Utah a quasi-sanctuary state for migrants who entered the country illegally. Jorgensen, a sixth-generation sheep rancher, has focused his criticism on the growing budget under Cox.

1st Congressional District

Rep. Blake Moore will face two challengers at the GOP convention, Ogden electrician Paul Miller and former Ogden police officer Derek Draper. Moore is the only candidate to have already qualified for the Republican primary by gathering 7,000 certified signatures.

Moore recently secured positions on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. These roles have allowed Moore to lead out on issues of spending reduction, welfare reform and a bipartisan focus on addressing the country’s debt.

Miller’s campaign has centered on improving border security, banning insider trading in Congress and combating “woke policy.” Draper has framed himself as an America First candidate who is a “100% supporter of our President Donald J. Trump.”

2nd Congressional District

Newly elected Rep. Celeste Maloy also faces two convention challengers — Army veteran Colby Jenkins and repeat candidate Ty Jensen — despite having been elected by delegates and primary voters just last summer to fill former Rep. Chris Stewart’s vacant seat. Maloy, Stewart’s former chief legal counsel, has placed her political future in the hands of delegates, choosing not to gather signatures.

During her six months in office, Maloy has introduced legislation to transfer some federal lands to Utah, supported a warrant amendment to the government’s FISA 702 surveillance authorities and voted against further military aid to Ukraine.

Jenkins has criticized Maloy for caving to “the pressures of Washington, D.C.,” and said he will be a more accountable representative. Jensen said he represents a working-class alternative to a Washington, D.C., insider.

Sen. Mike Lee announced a surprise endorsement of Jenkins Thursday afternoon.

“Too many Republicans in Congress have voted to expand the size, scope, and cost of the federal government, in many cases deferring to congressional GOP leaders bent on advancing the Democrats’ agenda. Now more than ever we need bold conservatives in Congress,” Lee said in a press release.

Maloy, who recently introduced legislation with Lee, responded to Lee’s endorsement with the following statement given to the Deseret News:

“President Trump called me last week — because that’s what he does when two of his cabinet level advisors endorse someone — and he asked me how I like being in Congress. And I told him, I’ll be honest with you, Mr. President, I like the job, but I’m sick and tired of Republicans losing because we fight each other harder than we fight the Democrats. And he laughed and told me I was right, and said he’s sick of it, too. And this is a prime example of why Republicans keep losing. When we agree on principle, but disagree on tactics. We go out and try to harm each other instead of trying to bring home wins for our constituents.”

3rd Congressional District

With Rep. John Curtis launching a Senate campaign in January, Utah’s 3rd District became an open seat for the first time in seven years. Nine Republicans jumped in the race.

Mike Kennedy is a state Senator. Kennedy, who won among delegates against Sen. Mitt Romney in 2018, has emphasized his conservative voting record and accessibility to voters. He is pursuing a convention-only path to nomination.

Chris Herrod is a former state lawmaker. He previously ran for Congress in the 3rd District in 2017, 2018 and 2022, beating Curtis in convention his first and second attempt. He is again counting on delegates to send him to the primary.

Case Lawrence is the founder of Sky Zone. He has emphasized his ability to successfully emerge from economic crises and “restore the American dream.” He has qualified for the primary election with 7,000 certified signatures.

JR Bird is the mayor of Roosevelt. He said his experience with small-town government, business and agriculture qualify him to represent the sprawling 3rd District. He has also qualified for the primary through signature-gathering.

John “Frugal” Dougall is the Utah state auditor. Dougall pointed to his track record as evidence he understands fiscal issues and can get the nation’s inflation under control. He gathered signatures to qualify for the primary ballot.

Stewart Peay is a commercial litigator. He said his background in military intelligence makes him the most qualified on issues of foreign policy. Former Utah Rep. Chris Stewart endorsed Peay. He gathered signatures to qualify for the primary.

Kathryn Dahlin is a former Senate staffer. Dahlin said she represents a different kind of politician focused on family and responsible budgeting. She submitted signatures but fell short of the certification threshold.

Zac Wilson is the Utah Young Republicans state chair. He said his background in finance prepared him to address the country’s spending problems. He did not gather signatures and is looking to delegates to move him forward.

Lucky Bovo is a former National Guardsman. His campaign message is to limit National Guardsmen from being deployed oversees. He did not gather signatures or engage in delegate outreach.

Attorney General race

Derek Brown, Trent Christensen, Frank Mylar and Rachel Terry are squaring off for the attorney general nomination. Brown has chosen to seek the nomination both through the convention process and signature gathering — he has already qualified and will appear on the primary ballot. Christensen, Mylar and Terry are only seeking the nomination through the convention process.

Brown is the former deputy chief of staff for Sen. Mike Lee and the former Utah GOP chairman. He practiced law at Mayer Brown and Sidley Austin LLP and has also served as chief legal counsel to former Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch.

Christensen is the chief of staff and general counsel for OmniTeq. He previously was an associate at Ropes & Gray LLP and served as the executive director of the Senator Orrin G. Hatch Center for Civility and Solutions.

Mylar started his own firm more than 20 years ago and focuses on constitutional and government litigation in state and federal courts as well as civil rights and religious liberty. He also worked for 12 years in the attorney general’s office.

Terry has been an assistant attorney general and is currently the director of the Utah Division of Risk Management. She served as the deputy director for the Utah League of Cities and Towns and she also worked for the firm Fabian & Clendenin.

For previous coverage of the race, see this article and this one.