New 'Gigawatt Fellowship' to Guide Utah's Plan to Increase Electrical-Generating Capacity

The Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air at Utah State University and the Utah Office of Energy Development (OED) have announced the creation of the Gigawatt Fellowship.

This strategic partnership establishes a two-year joint fellowship dedicated to supporting informed policy decision making, academic research and implementation of Operation Gigawatt.

The fellowship will advance the goals of Operation Gigawatt, a plan to increase the state’s electrical-generating capacity. The Gigawatt Fellowship is designed to provide high-quality research to support evidence-based decision-making as Utah balances growing energy needs with land, water, air quality and mineral resource considerations.

“Energy expansion on this scale requires a careful accounting of our land, water, clean air, and mineral resources,” said Brian Steed, executive director of the Institute for Land, Water and Air. “This fellowship allows us to co-produce the insights policymakers need to navigate these tradeoffs. Our goal is to align innovation with stewardship, ensuring that, as we solve for energy demand, we are also securing water resilience and clean air for Utah communities.”

The fellowship will foster interdisciplinary collaboration between engineering, applied intelligence, natural resources and policy, while also strengthening the relationship between OED and USU. This state agency-academic partnership confirms Utah’s commitment to an any-of-the-above energy approach and will expand generation pathways using a resource-neutral focus guided by the state’s standards of performance and stewardship.

"Utah stands ready to lead the West in energy development, but part of good leadership is collaborating with the right partners," said Emy Lesofski, energy advisor to the governor and director of OED. "OED’s partnership with the institute and USU will accelerate energy development safely and responsibly, delivering reliable, affordable and sustainable energy while protecting the natural resources that power our economies and deliver the high quality of life we enjoy.”

Application details are available at jobs.usu.edu.

About the Utah Office of Energy Development

As Utah’s primary office for energy and mineral development, the Utah Office of Energy Development advances the state’s any-of-the-above energy strategy through informed policy, public education, infrastructure development and workforce initiatives. OED works closely with policymakers and partners across industry, academia and state and federal agencies. OED is committed to ensuring citizens across the state have access to energy that is reliable, affordable, secure, sustainable and clean.

About the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air

Based at Utah State University, the institute guides policy by connecting decision-makers with high-quality research. It serves as an interdisciplinary hub, bringing together experts to address the critical natural resource challenges facing Utah.

About Utah State University

Since its founding in 1888, Utah State University has evolved from a small agricultural college tucked away in the Northern Utah mountains to a thriving, multi-campus research university known throughout the world for its innovative and technological leadership. Utah State is a premier student-centered land-grant and space-grant university that fosters the principle that academics come first by cultivating diversity of thought and culture, and by serving the public through learning, discovery and engagement.