They say the best time to plant a tree is yesterday. The best time for transmission buildout was 20 years ago.

Transmission buildout is not optional. It is a necessary next step in achieving affordable, clean energy access for all Utahns and updating our power grid. To move energy across the state from city centers in Salt Lake City to more rural areas like Cache Valley or Tooele County, updating our aging infrastructure is a necessity. This necessity is growing daily, as is the need for modernization and build-out in order to meet the Beehive State’s rapidly growing energy demand. Once we’re done playing catch-up, Utah is uniquely positioned to get ahead of the curve and become a national leader in this new frontier of energy abundance.

Many Utahns are well aware of this fact, and Governor Cox is no exception. He has championed Operation Gigawatt, Utah’s new plan for powering its energy future, over the past year. Even if Utah produces all the energy in the world, however, it won’t matter without the means to transport it across the state. Fortunately, the plan has stated “increasing transmission capacity” as one of the four key areas of the initiative. At a time when energy demand is skyrocketing, Operation Gigawatt could not have come along sooner.

With 70% of U.S. transmission lines over 25 years old and nearing the end of their useful life, our nation faces an undeniable need for infrastructure improvement. The time for transmission buildout is now. As one of the fastest-growing states in both economy and population, Utah must keep up with the ever-growing need for power. Our population is spreading out across the state due to city centers filling up fast, and the energy needs follow.

While the need to produce more clean, sustainable energy will come, the production is not the only problem. The U.S. has nearly 2,600 gigawatts of energy generation trapped in the queue waiting to be connected to the grid and reach Utahns who need it most. This is enough energy to power 2,277,600 homes on average a year, and it is simply not being used. If we focus more effort on transmission buildout, we can utilize the energy that is just sitting there and be prepared to transport newly produced energy more effectively in the future. This means transmission buildout should be at the top of our priority list.

Yet another benefit to building out our transmission is that Utahns’ existing monthly bills will go down, and the ability for local economies to grow will skyrocket. Transmission buildout projects such as the Cross-Tie transmission line — a 214-mile line connecting Utah and Nevada, expected to be in service by 2028 — not only aid us in our effort toward energy dominance, but also provide a wide range of jobs to local communities with otherwise very little economic stimulation. These projects could help small businesses in these rural communities simply by bringing the power and more people into town.

The bottom line is that right now is the time for transmission buildout in Utah, and it should be at the forefront of the conversation surrounding energy grid development. Expanding the grid will benefit all Utahns across the board by lowering monthly bills and reducing reliance on high-cost power sources. Along with cheaper energy, providing more renewable energy access means less price volatility for Utah, and modernizing the grid also creates jobs and economic growth in local communities.

We should have planted our tree 20 years ago, but there is no better time than the present to put transmission buildout at the top of our priority list and begin achieving energy abundance for Utah.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, inadvertently nodded off during a marathon budget markup very early Tuesday morning, resulting in a video clip that quickly went viral as he was shaken awake by his colleague.

It was nearly 5 a.m. EDT when the House clerk went through the roll call for House Ways and Means Committee members to cast their vote on a Democratic amendment. But the clerk was forced to pause on one name: Moore, who was softly snoozing in his chair.

Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., is then seen shaking Moore awake, who begins laughing as he votes against the Democratic amendment. Fischbach and Moore exchanged whispers as Moore gave a small bow.

It was a small moment, otherwise lost in the roughly 17-hour hearing that began at 2 p.m. the afternoon before. But in the digital age, nothing is completely missed.

The C-SPAN clip quickly went viral on social media as the camera pans over the lawmakers’ desks to Moore.

Moore wasn’t the only one caught sleeping during the marathon meetings. Both Reps. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., were caught asleep during the Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, which took place at the same time and also dragged on overnight.

The Ways and Means Committee concluded its hearing just before 8 a.m. EDT on Wednesday morning to advance its portion of President Donald Trump’s massive reconciliation bill. The Energy and Commerce Committee continued its markup well into Wednesday afternoon.

For the second time in three seasons, the Utah women’s basketball team is headed to the Mohegan Sun Arena for a high-profile nonconference matchup.

This time, the Utes will face defending national champion UConn in the 12th annual Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase on Nov. 21.

The matchup was announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Tuesday.

For the first time, the Women’s Showcase will feature a four-team, tournament-style format, with Syracuse and Michigan also playing a first-round game on Nov. 21.

Each team will be ensured two games at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, with the championship and third-place games taking place on Nov. 23.

“We are excited to play in this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase,” Utah head coach Gavin Petersen said in a statement.

“It’s always an elite level of competition and a great opportunity to test ourselves early. This year is no exception and will prove to be a great event showcasing women’s basketball.”

This will be the first meeting ever between Utah and UConn. The Huskies beat South Carolina 82-59 in this past year’s national championship game to earn UConn’s 12th national title in the sport.

“The return of the 2025 NCAA women’s champions, UConn, highlights what promises to be the most exciting Women’s Showcase yet,” John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, said in a statement.

“With four outstanding programs competing in a tournament-style format for the first time, this event continues to elevate the platform for women’s college basketball and celebrate the exceptional talent of today’s student-athletes.”

The Utes have a 1-1 overall record against Michigan and have never faced Syracuse.

Two years ago, Utah took on South Carolina in the showcase. In that game, the Utes held tough against that year’s eventual national champions — behind 37 points from Alissa Pili — before the Gamecocks pulled away to win by nine.