Local News
Utah’s massive data centers seek to build new power sources
Leia Larsen | The Salt Lake Tribune
Note to readers • This story is made possible through a partnership between The Salt Lake Tribune and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.
In rural Millard County, Kalen Taylor is bracing for the day the farmland across the street transforms into a sprawling data center complex.
Initial plans for Joule Capital Partners’ 4,000-acre data center site call for six buildings, each powered by 69 Caterpillar natural gas-powered generators to meet the intensive energy demands. Construction is slated to begin this spring. Once built, Taylor will likely hear the equivalent of more than 400 semi-trucks idling in his neighborhood around the clock, producing emissions year-round.
“I just would rather look out my backdoor and see cornfields than a data center,” Taylor said. “I like the sound of crops rustling in the wind, not the hum of a CAT generator making power.”
Farther north, Eagle Mountain city officials have turned to massive data centers operated by tech giants like Meta to provide much-needed tax revenue. But even in this urban, rapidly growing part of the state, developers struggle to secure the power they need from Utah’s largest electric utility, Rocky Mountain Power. Google has delayed building a campus there due to energy constraints. That prompted the City Council to explore building small nuclear reactors, to the consternation of many residents.
“It means our city would become a radioactive storage site,” said Joy Rasmussen, a mom of four who bought a home in Eagle Mountain in 2022.
This spring, in Washington, D.C., Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) spoke glowingly to Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, about Utah’s aspirations to “lead” the nation “with data centers and advanced technologies” during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on artificial intelligence.
Curtis noted the “challenges” that come with data centers’ insatiable energy demands. How, the senator asked, can the state protect ratepayers?
“The best way,” Altman responded, “is much more supply. More generation.”
With the growing demand for more data centers, Utah finds itself in a difficult position. State and federal officials have called AI the “arms race” of a new era, as the nation looks to fend off Russia and China and forge its place as the world’s leader in technology, energy and innovation. And Utah looks to position itself at the forefront of that fight.
The state’s main electricity provider, Rocky Mountain Power, doesn’t have the capacity to meet the surge in energy demand. Data center developers have instead turned to generating their own electricity, mostly using natural gas. Gov. Spencer Cox has zeroed in on nuclear as a cleaner energy solution as part of his Operation Gigawatt.
That collision of the AI boom and limited power supplies means Utah’s rush to build data centers is likely to rely on fossil fuel energy for the foreseeable future, raising concerns about the state’s already struggling air quality. Alternative sources won’t match the demand the centers generate — potentially as much as four times what Utah residents and businesses currently consume. Small nuclear plants are at least a decade away, while the Trump administration has curtailed many incentives for solar and wind power.
Lawmakers and regulators are trying to balance the needs of energy-intensive industries without ratepayers feeling the environmental and pocketbook pains felt in other parts of the country, like rising energy bills and polluted resources.
“We’re kind of in a big mess right now,” said Logan Mitchell, a climate scientist and energy analyst for Utah Clean Energy, “and it’s manifesting in all of these different ways.”
Data centers turn to self-built power
Rocky Mountain Power, like many private utility providers in the U.S., has a monopoly as the sole electricity provider in much of Utah, but it must yield to state regulation. For decades, power providers hummed along as energy demand across the country stayed relatively flat.
Conflict arose, however, when platforms like Altman’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Elon Musk’s Grok made AI a mass consumable good rather than a niche product. Demand for more data centers gripped the globe, and the utilities, which plan for energy needs decades in advance, were caught unprepared and undersupplied.
Data centers use substantial amounts of energy, with rows of servers computing day and night for services that are an increasing part of daily life — streaming services, online banking, e-commerce and the rise of AI. In arid Utah, many data centers have pivoted away from water-guzzling evaporative cooling in favor of closed-loop systems, which require more electricity to run.
Last year, the Utah Legislature passed SB 132, allowing private companies with energy demands of 100 megawatts or more to build their own generating stations that operate off the public grid used by nearly everyone else. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, specifically cited data centers as he promoted the legislation.
“It kind of un-handcuffs Rocky Mountain Power to provide these loads for data centers, for AI, for large manufacturers,” Sandall said, “those that are coming in, and quite frankly, changing the curve of power demand.”
In Millard County, both Joule and Creekstone Energy intend to build their own massive facilities, powered by natural gas.
“We are so excited for other alternative energy sources like geothermal and solar and wind and someday, maybe even nuclear,” said Mark McDougal, a managing partner of the Joule data mega-campus. “But we can’t wait for that.”
Natural gas is efficient, McDougal said, and a proven technology that can run around the clock.
The developers received support from county leaders because of their potential to create employment in construction, maintenance and security, along with boosting economic development. The rural community in central Utah lost its largest employer, the Smithfield Foods pork processing plant, in 2023 – it accounted for about a quarter of all jobs in the county. The idling of the nearby Intermountain Power Plant’s remaining coal units also caused a hemorrhaging of local jobs.
Construction of the massive sites will bring some jobs to the communities, but data centers generally employ a relatively small number of permanent workers.
Millard County’s location is attractive to data center developers because it lies on a fiber optic corridor and near a natural gas pipeline, along with large transmission lines associated with the old coal plant.
“Having both of those in the same place,” said Ray Conley, Creekstone’s CEO, “and not having a large metropolitan area that is competing for power is a very unique combo.”
It also lies outside the Wasatch Front, an area plagued for years by poor air quality that falls short of federal standards.
“It’s so hard where you have inversions and trap emissions,” McDougal said. “[Here] emissions are able to disperse.”
Joule’s applications filed with the state indicate it will produce 1 gigawatt to start — about a quarter of the electricity Utah currently uses annually. But its own public statements indicate it intends to produce more than 4 gigawatts onsite. Creekstone, less than a mile away, intends to produce 10 gigawatts, Conley confirmed.
At least a few computing campuses want to build natural gas plants on the Wasatch Front as well, despite its inversions and air quality challenges. Data company QTS received approval from the Eagle Mountain City Council to build a 20-acre, 200 megawatt plant last year, although a company spokesperson said it secured power from Rocky Mountain instead.
In West Jordan, the expanding Novva data campus received state approval to build a 200 megawatt natural gas plant in December 2024.
But “natural gas” is an old greenwashing term, Mitchell said. The fuel is methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Burning it produces carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and other pollutants.
Nitrogen oxides mix in the atmosphere, get baked by the sun and turn into particulate pollution in the winter and ozone pollution in the summer.
The pollutants create haze in rural parts of the state as well, and impact visibility at Utah’s famed national parks from Arches to Zion.
Even data centers on the Wasatch Front that have tapped into the existing power grid also received approval to install hundreds of diesel-fueled generators in the last five years, including QTS, Meta and the National Security Agency in Utah County and eBay, Aligned, DataBank, Oracle and Novva data centers in Salt Lake County. Those generators would only run during blackouts and other emergencies when the campuses can’t get enough grid power, according to permit applications. But diesel emissions contain even more harmful pollutants than natural gas.
In November, the federal government removed Northern Utah from its list of regions out of compliance for wintertime inversion pollution after more than a decade, thanks to state efforts like banning wood burning on poor air quality days combined with stricter federal regulations on vehicles and fuel. But it continues to struggle with meeting national requirements for ozone smog.
The new data centers coming online, with their diesel and natural gas generators, could bump the state right back out of compliance, environmental advocates say.
“They’re eating into all of the progress we’ve made to reduce emissions from other sources,” Mitchell said.
State regulators said they’re not just concerned about temporary diesel generators and year-round natural gas generators taking a bite against air quality gains in recent years.
“We’re concerned about all growth,” said Bryce Bird, director of the Utah Division of Air Quality. “Everything that has to do with people also has emissions associated with it.”
That doesn’t mean Utah can’t be a tech leader, said Department of Environmental Quality Executive Director Tim Davis. But the state’s still figuring out how to strike the right balance between affordable energy creation, environmental protection and improving public health.
“I don’t know of a state that is not having similar conversations,” Davis said. “That’s just a mind-numbing amount of new power that they’re trying to plan for.”
‘If anybody wants to criticize data centers, look in the mirror’
Novva applied for a two-year presidential exemption from the Clean Air Act in March under a program designed to benefit coal plants, smelting facilities and chemical manufacturers. The company asked for the exemption so it could operate using diesel generators while it finishes building its natural gas plant, according to records obtained by Grist and shared with The Salt Lake Tribune.
The company noted Rocky Mountain Power can’t provide the electricity needed until 2031, and even then, it’s not guaranteed. The requested exemption aligns with national security interests, Novva wrote in its application, citing the U.S. Department of State’s assertion that AI is “at the center of an unfolding global technology revolution” and can help make Americans safer.
Novva CEO Wes Swenson said he never received a response to the exemption request. He insisted, however, that data centers like his are important for protecting “American data.”
“If anybody wants to criticize data centers, look in the mirror,” Swenson said. “‘I want Netflix, I want Prime, I want Apple TV.’ … Nobody goes to the library anymore. Who uses cash? Where do people think that all comes from?”
Where will all the new energy come from, and how will it impact Utahns?
Utah leaders have honed in on nuclear power, and small modular reactors in particular, as a cleaner and more sustainable solution to the spike in energy demand. The need is not just driven by data centers, but also a hoped-for renaissance in manufacturing and the future electrification of Utah’s transportation. But Rocky Mountain’s parent company, PacifiCorp, only has firm plans for one small reactor – a plant under construction by TerraPower in Kemmerer, Wyoming. It won’t come online until around 2032, and Utah will share its projected 500 megawatts with other Western states.
Enthusiasm for small nuclear reactors within Utah’s borders appears tepid. Brigham City is the only community so far to fully embrace nuclear reactors. But in making that announcement, state leaders were light on specifics in explaining why the small city needs the power. No known data centers are planned for the area.
Ninety minutes south in Eagle Mountain, Meta’s data campus is expanding, a huge QTS data hub is under construction and Google is waiting to build on 300 acres it owns within city limits. The city made two attempts last year to adopt an ordinance to allow for nuclear development and other energy projects, including solar farms. After receiving mixed feedback, the efforts failed.
The pivot to nuclear has environmental and clean energy advocates wondering why Utah has shied away from renewables. Cox calls his Operation Gigawatt an “all-of-the-above” strategy that welcomes all energy sources. But resources like wind and solar have faded from the conversation.
“People see renewable energy as the woke liberal energy, and we have to stick with fossil fuels and nuclear, because that’s what conservatives want,” said Ed Stafford, a professor of marketing at Utah State University whose research focuses on renewables. “Politicization of energy is just a bad thing, because, as common sense tells us, we should go with the cleanest and cheapest forms of energy that spreads the wealth around.”
PacifiCorp intends to bring no new solar, wind or battery storage online in Utah over the next two decades, according to the latest draft of its long-term resource plan. Meanwhile, the utility isn’t factoring large energy consumers, like data centers, into its projections, to Mitchell’s frustration.
“Rocky Mountain Power should be planning for the reality of the future,” Mitchell said, “rather than creating a fictional reality that indicates they don’t have much load growth and they’re not going to build new resources.”
Data center developers and operators interviewed for this story said they support transitioning to cleaner energy sources. But they also need consistent and reliable power, when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow.
“The economic rebates and incentives are going away, which is why it’s not as in fashion as it was before,” said Conley, Creekstone’s CEO. “But a lot of [data] customers are willing to pay a premium for green energy instead of dirty energy.”
Conley’s company recently applied with the Utah Office of Energy Development to operate the Intermountain Power Plant’s remaining coal units, which went idle this year after the plant’s customer base in California decided to transition to cleaner energy sources.
“Diversification,” the CEO said, “reduces risk.”
Risk is at the forefront of at least some Utahns’ minds, particularly as news stories across the nation call out data centers for driving up the cost of power for all ratepayers. Utilities build new generating plants and upgrade decades-old grid equipment to meet rising demand, then spread the costs among all their customers. This year, Pew reports, both data centers and cryptocurrency mining could cause the average U.S. power bill to grow 8% by 2030.
In Utah, however, SB 132 seems to serve a dual purpose of helping data center developers get the energy they need behind the meter, while protecting other customers who still use the traditional grid.
“There’s very little evidence that data centers have impacted rates to date,” said Michele Beck, director of the Office of Consumer Services, a utility watchdog part of the Utah Department of Commerce.
She called SB 132 one of the “best ideas out there” for protecting power customers in the nation. But, she said, it’s important for Utahns to remain vigilant. It’s not just utilities struggling to catch up to new demand. Regulators have struggled to keep pace as well.
“The industry in general is speeding up,” Beck said. “It just compounds everything.”
Grist reporter Naveena Sadasivam and Tribune reporter Addy Baird contributed to this story.
Jennifer Thomas | American Fork Citizen
MTECH students in Lehi captured 30 medals at the 2026 Utah SkillsUSA competition.
Students secured 11 gold, 11 silver, and eight bronze medals—a record for MTECH. The competition featured the state’s best high school and college talent, tested in practical, technical challenges. SkillsUSA was held March 26-27 at sites across the state, including MTECH Lehi, Bridgerland, Ogden-Weber, and Salt Lake Community College.
The SkillsUSA Statewide Competition is a premier annual event where career and technical education students demonstrate skills in industry-judged contests. Regional winners compete for state championships, with top finishers advancing to the National Leadership & Skills Conference.
“SkillsUSA competitions are created with industry experts to reflect current workforce expectations. Technical standards and scoring rubrics are developed and reviewed by professionals in each field,” said Maile Richardson, Senior Director of Communications at MTECH. “Students compete in events connected to their MTECH program, applying their training in a real-world, competitive setting.”
“Many competitions also require interviews or client interactions, so students must show professionalism, communication, and customer service,” added Richardson.
MTECH students reached milestones this year, earning the college’s first gold in Barbering and a medal in Welding—one of the competition’s most competitive categories,” said Richardson.
MTECH instructors play a key role in preparing students for competition.
“MTECH prepares students for SkillsUSA by building both technical and soft skills. Each competitor is assigned a skills advisor, usually their instructor, who helps them refine skills for weeks before the competition. Advisors are key to student success,” said Richardson.
Both high school and adult MTECH students competed in their categories. Winners from MTECH in Lehi included the following competitors.
Gold Winners
STUDENT NAME , COMPETITION , COMP. CATEGORY
Sydine Paice , Culinary Arts, High School
Amelia Kennicott, Nail Care, High School
Charlotte Westwood, Esthetics, Adult
Keslee Bagley, Barbering, High School
Skyler Farrell, Industrial Motor, Controls Adult
Fenix Taylor and Mercedes Allen
(competed as a team) Mechatronics, High School
Ryan Stradling, CNC Programmer, Adult
Christopher Dixon, CNC 2-Axis Turning Programmer, Adult
Matthew Morris, CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer, Adult
Logan Perkins, HVAC-R, Adult
Jack Petersen, HVAC-R, High School
Silver Winners
STUDENT NAMES , COMPETITION , COMP. CATEGORY
Haley Osborne, Culinary Arts, Adult
Caleb Meade, Restaurante Service, High School
Alexis Glenn, Nail Care, Adult
Anthony Ramirez, Welding, Adult
Brandon Hernandez and Josua Jardine
(competed as a team) Mechatronics, Adult
Devon Stulce, CNC Programmer, Adult
Joshua Spencer, CNC 2-Axis Turning Programmer, Adult
Berkely Stulce, CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer, Adult
Dillan Schweinler, Plumbing, Adult
Andrew Richards, HVAC-R, Adult
Liam Cutler, HVAC-R, High School
Bronze Winners
STUDENT NAME, COMPETITION, COMP. CATEGORY
Melissa Bercerra, Baking and Pastry Arts, Adult
Anne Arce, Baking and Pastry Arts, Adult
Abby Wahlquist, Cosmetology, Adult
Paige Terranova, Nail Care, High School
Derick Brinkerhoff, CNC Programmer, Adult
Maxwell Hewett, CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer, Adult
Alec Dressler, Electrical Construction Wiring, Adult
Jared Stokes, HVAC-R, Adult
The Gold-winning students can compete at the national level. The national competition will take place in June in Atlanta, Georgia.
“We’re incredibly proud of how our students represented MTECH at this year’s competition,” said Richardson, his voice reflecting the pride of the entire team. “Watching their skills recognized in such an exciting arena fills us with genuine joy and gratitude. Their wins truly affirm how meaningful and life-changing MTECH’s training can be.”
These achievements show students’ dedication and MTECH’s commitment to high-quality, career-focused education.
Career and technical education are central to MTECH’s mission of enhancing employability through hands-on, industry-driven training. Participating in SkillsUSA directly supports this goal by allowing students to apply their learning in a real-world, performance-based environment,” said Richardson.
“These students represent the best of technical education,” said Clay Christensen, President of Mountainland Technical College. “We’re proud of their SkillsUSA accomplishments. Their success shows their determination, quality instruction, and strong MTECH support.”
Richardson concluded, “We’re proud to be part of Lehi and to see our students achieve at this level. It’s exciting to watch them represent the city.”
Staff Writer | American Fork Citizen
All Utah County Republican delegates are invited to participate in the Utah County Republican convention this Saturday at Skyridge High School. Several high-profile Utah County races with numerous republican contenders will vie to represent the party in the primary election. Those races include two county commission seats, and a republican nominee will emerge from the county clerk and county recorder races.
The day-long event starts at 7:30 a.m. with a greeting time for candidates and delegates, then registration from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. According to county officials, food trucks will be on site. Delegates are encouraged to bring water and a cushion for more comfortable seating.
The Utah County Democratic Party held its nominating convention earlier in April.
Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press
The annual flag retirement ceremony for the local area has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 15 at the Quail Cove Amphitheater, 851 E. 700 North in American Fork from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The event is jointly sponsored by American Legion Post 49, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Honor Guard, and the American Fork Fire & Rescue and Police departments.
It is the authorized ceremony for all communities in North Utah County. All interested residents, including children, are encouraged to attend and participate. Anyone who has a US flag that needs to be disposed of properly is invited to bring it to the ceremony.
The U.S. Flag Code specifies that, “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”
Key indicators that a flag needs to be retired include:
- Significant fraying or tears: The fly end (outer edge) is heavily frayed or torn and cannot be repaired by trimming and re-hemming.
- Severe fading: The colors are washed out, with red appearing pink and blue looking grey, or the stars are no longer distinct.
- Structural damage: The fabric is thin, transparent, or has holes.
- Damaged components: Grommets are broken or the header is ripped.
- Dirty or mildewed: The flag is heavily soiled or has mildew that cannot be cleaned.
“The American Legion’s Ceremony for Disposal of Unserviceable Flags is a dignified tribute to the U.S. flag and to its symbolism,” said Post 49 adjutant Lloyd Togisala. “This ceremony is both legal and proper, and it is an effective instrument for promoting enhanced respect for the U.S. flag.”
A patriotic program including music and prayers is part of the ceremony.
Burning is the preferred method of disposal for flags made of cotton or other natural fibers. However, flags made of nylon, polyester or other synthetic fabrics should not be burned as they will produce toxic fumes.
Flags made of synthetic materials can be recycled, respectfully buried in a dignified container or cut in pieces for disposal.
Local News
Lehi City Council declines to fund study of ice complex, forgoing possible support from Utah County and NHL franchise
Nichole Coombs and Sally Francom | American Fork Citizen
The Lehi City Council decided not to fund a feasibility study for a potential new ice complex, despite potential support from Utah County and NHL’s Mammoth funding.
The move was supported by all but one council member, Emily Lockhart, who felt like the council was deciding without investigating the data.
“I believe this feasibility study would be a launching point into more conversations,” said Lockhart. “It would give us more analysis.”
The feasibility study would have cost the city $33,000. The money to fund the study would come from RDA funds, not from taxpayers.
“This is our first budget session,” said council member Rachel Freeman. “I’d like to get through that first. I don’t think this is an appropriate time [to do this] as a new council member.”
Redevelopment Agency funds, or RDA, are specialized monies set aside to stimulate economic development.
“I want to be perfectly clear,” said Lockhart. “I do not think using RDA funds for economic opportunities is fiscally irresponsible. I am fiscally responsible, and part of that responsibility is to diversify the type of revenue that Lehi City is getting.”
Council member Heather Newall also agreed that she needed more data before deciding on the study, but ultimately didn’t support it.
“I don’t want to get this wrong,” said Newall. “I don’t have the information I need to make a decision.”
Lockheart agreed they didn’t have much information, but said that’s why the study was needed.
“Even if the feasibility study comes back and says we couldn’t [support the ice center], I would love to be able to show residents why,” said Lockheart. “But instead, when the residents who have expressed interest in this come and ask us why, I will have to say, ‘because this council wouldn’t even ask the questions.’ It’s so frustrating.”
Utah County Commissioner Skyler Beltran, who lives in Lehi, supports considering an ice complex. He said, “The recent demand and economic success of the Provo Peaks Arena, combined with grant opportunities offered through the NHL’s Mammoth, inspired the concept of a second ice complex in Utah County. I’ve collaborated with several partners to raise funds and formally introduce the idea of [an ice complex] to Lehi City, given its strategic location. I think it’s great that Lehi considered the opportunity and started the conversation.”
But Beltran believes there was a potential misunderstanding about funding mechanisms and the potential for a significant sales tax boost to Lehi City coffers.
“There was a misunderstanding [on the part of city officials] regarding the financial structure of this project, both in terms of capital and revenue. The county’s contribution consisted of a mix of external grant funding and tourism tax revenue, which by law cannot be used for general fund expenses like public safety or core government functions.”
Regarding the idea that the ice complex would be a tax burden for local residents, Beltran added, “I would have never brought this project to any of the cities if it resulted in a tax increase.”
Beltran noted that sports venues that attract patrons from a wide geographical area often bring tax dollars to the city.
“The real economic impact comes from ancillary spending at local retail, restaurants and hotels. Ultimately, government is funded in two primary ways, either property tax or sales tax, so it’s important that we strengthen our sales tax tased to reduce reliance on property taxes.”
Other cities are interested in this type of project, Beltran said. “I look forward to working with them as they evaluate it.”
“I’ve heard people say that the county should just do the project, but that’s not how we’re structured. Decades ago, Utah County made the decision not to provide countywide recreation and library services, leaving that to cities, allowing them to control their own PARC tax dollars.”
The county does have funds, however, to aid such a project.
“We’re not aggressively pursuing this project; it is simply a bucket of funds available if a city wants to use them for seed funding.”
Alixel Cabrera | Utah News Dispatch
Utah lawmakers have approved legislation establishing a legal framework for autonomous vehicles, aiming to prepare the state for the eventual arrival of driverless technology while offering clarity on liability in the event of accidents.
Although no autonomous vehicle companies have formally committed to operating in Utah, lawmakers say the bill is designed to attract industry interest by providing legal certainty.
Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, R-Sandy, who sponsored the measure, said the legislation creates a pathway for people to recover damages if they are injured in crashes involving automated driving systems, while also giving companies clearer expectations before deploying the technology.
“The technology is already here, and we can expect autonomous vehicles to become more common in Utah,” Cullimore said during a House committee hearing. “This bill establishes what that liability framework looks like.”
The legislation outlines several types of legal claims. Individuals who suffer injury or property damage directly caused by an autonomous vehicle must prove that the automated system was a “proximate cause” of the harm. In those cases, damages would be capped at $100,000.
In addition, individuals may pursue negligence claims, with non-economic damages—such as pain and suffering—capped at $1 million. The cap does not apply to economic damages like medical expenses, lost wages or wrongful death.
The bill also allows for claims against manufacturers or developers if a defect in the autonomous vehicle contributed to an accident. Plaintiffs would need to demonstrate that a reasonable alternative design existed and that the vehicle caused more harm than a human driver performing the same task.
Research on the safety of autonomous vehicles remains limited. A University of Central Florida study cited by lawmakers found that while advanced driving systems may reduce the likelihood of accidents overall, they may be more prone to crashes during low-light conditions or while making turns.
The legislation includes a provision requiring lawmakers to revisit the framework in 2030, allowing for adjustments as more data becomes available.
Some legal advocates have raised concerns about the bill’s limitations on damages and its protections for emerging technology. Jake Lee, chair of the legislative committee for the Utah Association for Justice, said in public comments that the measure removes punitive damages and may not yet strike the right balance given the lack of long-term safety data.
Still, supporters argue the framework positions Utah to benefit from technological advancements while maintaining a path for injured individuals to seek compensation.
Megan Wallgren | American Fork Citizen
Utah Lake environmental efforts got a big boost this month with the announcement of $7.7 million in federal funding to support projects focused on habitat restoration, invasive species removal and expanded recreational access.
A large portion of the funding will go to the construction of a new Utah Lake nature and research center. Approximately $4 million has been set aside for the facility, which will be a hub for scientific study, environmental education and community engagement. The project was supported at the federal level by Mike Kennedy and John Curtis.
Another $2.5 million, secured by Representative Burgess Owens, will be used to improve recreational access, including continued development of trails and connections around the lake. This will support a plan by the Mountainland Association of Governments to make the shoreline more accessible for walking, biking and other outdoor activities.
Additionally, $1.2 million will be used for restoration efforts. Overseen by the Utah Lake Authority and Utah County, this funding will be used for invasive species control, specifically removing carp from the lake and phragmites, an aggressive type of reed, from the shoreline.
The funding will be used for projects over several years. It builds on recent federal investments in Utah Lake’s water quality. In 2024, federal funds contributed to a $1 million channel enlargement project to improve water flow to Utah Lake.
Utah County Commissioner Skyler Beltran said, “I’m appreciative that our federal delegation recognizes the importance and potential of Utah Lake by helping bring taxpayer dollars back to Utah County.”
With large-scale investments and improvements, Beltran is hopeful about the future of Utah Lake. “The lake is in the best shape it’s been in decades, and this investment will help us continue improving water quality while expanding recreational access for our community,” he added.
April Slaughter | American Fork Citizen
A recent Lehi drug investigation that uncovered large quantities of marijuana and THC products is reigniting debate among residents about Utah’s cannabis laws. A central issue: whether Utah’s medical marijuana system is accessible enough for patients, and how law enforcement should balance medical legalization with criminal penalties for recreational possession.
This case, involving the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force and Lehi Police, underscores the ongoing conflict between enforcement of marijuana laws and the expansion of regulated medical cannabis in Utah.
The Lehi Police Department said detectives seized large amounts of marijuana-related products and cash after serving a search warrant at a suspected stash house.
Police reported seizing about 74 pounds of THC “dab” and wax products, 25 pounds of marijuana, and 3,100 THC edible packages. They also found over $12,000 in cash, believed to be from drug sales.
Authorities said the investigation began after an anonymous tip to the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force. The tip claimed that marijuana, THC concentrates, and other products were being sold in the area.
The search warrant led officers to a residence in Lehi, suspected of storing and distributing narcotics. Police said the investigation is ongoing.
Utah is among the states where recreational marijuana is illegal. Under current law, possessing marijuana can bring criminal penalties. Utah Public Radio reports that possession of even small amounts can lead to jail time, though lawmakers have sometimes proposed reducing penalties for minor possession.
Utah legalized medical cannabis in 2018 after voters passed Proposition 2. Lawmakers later changed the initiative, creating a tightly regulated system that lets patients with qualifying conditions buy cannabis products from licensed pharmacies.
Since then, the program has grown. By 2025, more than 100,000 patients were registered in Utah’s medical cannabis program, up from a few thousand soon after legalization.
Patients must get a recommendation from a qualified medical provider and apply through the state’s electronic system to obtain a medical cannabis card. Once approved, they can buy products from licensed pharmacies across Utah.
Before a sale, dispensaries must check a patient’s eligibility in the state electronic system. This portal is used by pharmacies, regulators, and law enforcement to verify legal medical cannabis purchases and ensure compliance with state possession limits.
Utah allows 15 licensed medical cannabis pharmacies statewide. These are the only businesses approved to legally sell cannabis products to patients.
Despite the medical program, marijuana enforcement continues statewide with thousands of arrests reported each year.
According to national incident reporting data compiled by advocacy groups, Utah has recorded more than 7,000 marijuana-related arrests in recent years, with most involving possession rather than distribution. For comparison, this indicates that thousands of individuals are arrested annually for marijuana possession in the state.
These statistics highlight the ongoing tension in Utah’s legal landscape, where the medical use of cannabis is permitted, but strict enforcement persists against recreational use.
Utah’s approach reflects a compromise adopted after the passage of Proposition 2, balancing tightly regulated medical access with continued criminal penalties for recreational use.
Reform supporters say penalties are harsh for people using marijuana for health reasons. Opponents often express concerns about impaired driving, youth access, and public safety.
Some Utah residents say the state’s medical cannabis program creates financial barriers.
Patients typically must pay for an appointment with a qualified medical provider before receiving a recommendation for cannabis use. These visits can cost anywhere from roughly $75 to more than $250, depending on the provider.
The state also charges a fee to apply for a medical cannabis card. Insurance does not cover cannabis-related care, so patients must pay out of pocket.
Some residents say these expenses make it hard for people with chronic health problems to get medical cannabis treatment.
Opinions in Utah County vary. Some say medical programs help patients with chronic pain, epilepsy, and other illnesses. Others want strict marijuana laws, even with limited medical use.
Public debates on this issue often appear in online community forums and neighborhood groups. Residents argue about the costs and benefits of Utah’s cannabis policies.
One Utah County resident wrote online that the medical cannabis program’s system can be costly but worthwhile for some patients.
“I paid for the appointment and the card, but it has helped my chronic pain more than anything else I’ve tried,” one Utah County resident wrote in an online public discussion about the program. Another resident supports the medical program but worries about broader legalization.
“Medical access makes sense, but I don’t think Utah should rush into full legalization,” the resident wrote.
This range of opinions underscores the central debate: how Utah should balance access to medical cannabis with continued prohibition and enforcement of recreational use.
Lawmakers have sometimes introduced bills to change how marijuana possession is handled. In 2026, they again considered reducing penalties for first-time possession of small amounts, possibly making some offenses civil infractions instead of criminal charges.
It is uncertain if these efforts will succeed. For now, Utah keeps a dual system: medical cannabis for qualified patients and criminal penalties for recreational possession.
In communities such as Lehi, the question of how to balance marijuana enforcement with access to medical cannabis remains unresolved, shaped by law enforcement actions, legislative changes, and residents’ experiences navigating Utah’s system.
Residents seeking official information about Utah’s medical cannabis laws or the state’s verification system can visit the Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Medical Cannabis website at medicalcannabis.utah.gov, which provides program rules, patient eligibility information and access to the state’s electronic verification portal.
Megan Wallgren | American Fork Citizen
Residents in northwest Utah County will soon have a new option for getting around, thanks to an on-demand transit program designed to help solve one of the biggest challenges in public transportation: the gap between a transit stop and a rider’s starting or final destination.
After nearly a year of meetings and negotiations, the Utah County Commission finalized an agreement with the Utah Transit Authority to create a “mobility zone” serving parts of Lehi, American Fork, Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs. The zone will cover about 77 square miles and serve approximately 181,000 residents.
The new service functions similarly to rideshare apps like Uber or Lyft, but is fully integrated with the region’s public transit system. Riders will be able to request a trip through the UTA app and be picked up near their location and taken to a nearby destination, bus stop or FrontRunner station.
The program is set to begin Aug. 16. Riders will access the service by requesting a ride on the UTA app.
“This service helps address the always-challenging last mile,” Utah County Commissioner Skyler Beltran said in a Facebook post announcing the agreement. “While this is certainly not a major solution to our current traffic mess, it is a meaningful piece of the puzzle.”
The new program will not only provide transportation options but also valuable data about how people travel. By tracking where riders begin and end their trips, planners hope to better identify where future transit investments could have the greatest impact in the fast-growing region.
Similar services were launched in Salt Lake County in 2019. Since that time, it has surpassed 2 million total riders and provided more than 645,000 rides in 2025 alone. That was a 13% increase over the previous year.
Utah County’s system will launch with a fleet of 16 vehicles, half of which will be wheelchair accessible to ensure riders with mobility challenges can also use the service. Trips will cost $3 per ride and allow passengers to travel up to six miles within the zone. However, trips connecting to the FrontRunner stations in Lehi or American Fork will not have a mileage cap.
The fare also includes transfers to other UTA services like buses, TRAX, and FrontRunner within two hours of the initial ride. Riders who already have a UTA transit pass will have the fee covered.
According to Beltran, the system is designed to complement existing transit rather than replace other services.
“It’s integrated with the entire UTA system, so a single trip can connect riders between on-demand service, FrontRunner, TRAX and other transit options,” Beltran said. “It’s really designed to complement the broader transit network.”
The service will operate Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and officials estimate it could provide about 400 rides per day.
Funding for the program will largely come from Utah County’s fifth-fifth sales tax dedicated to transportation. Beltran noted that the entire service costs less to operate than a single fixed-route bus line.
For more information about existing UTA On Demand programs, visit rideuta.com/Services/UTA-On-Demand.
Local News
Utah appeals court case could redefine survivorship rights after unpaid divorce settlement
Sally Francom | American Fork Citizen
LEHI, Utah — A 46-year-old Utah County journalist and caregiver for her disabled adult daughter is defending her ownership of the home where she has lived since 2018 after the Fourth District Court ruled that a $200,000 divorce settlement payment required before the property could transfer was never made. The case, Slaughter v. Alleman, will now be argued before the Utah Court of Appeals.
April Slaughter and her former husband divorced in March 2024. Under the divorce decree, he was required to pay $200,000 before any transfer of the jointly owned property could occur. The payment was never made, and he died in April 2024 before fulfilling that obligation.
Because the payment required by the decree was never made, Slaughter remained the surviving joint tenant on the Highland home where she lives with her disabled adult daughter, a property estimated to be worth roughly $800,000.
Following the former husband’s death, his father opened a probate estate and, acting through that estate, filed a motion in the Fourth District Court seeking to enforce a provision of the divorce decree that required Slaughter to vacate her home by May 31, 2024. Through that motion, the estate sought to assert a claim to the property even though the required $200,000 payment had never been made during the husband’s lifetime.
Judge Christine Johnson of the Fourth District Court rejected the estate’s argument and granted summary judgment in Slaughter’s favor, ruling that because the required $200,000 payment was never made, the condition necessary to transfer the property had not been satisfied.
“This home has been my residence for years, and I believed the terms of the divorce decree were clear,” Slaughter said. “The district court recognized that the condition required for the property to transfer was never met.”
The appeal raises broader questions about how Utah courts interpret joint tenancy survivorship rights when divorce decree conditions remain unmet at the time of death. Joint tenancy with right of survivorship is a widely used form of property ownership in Utah, under which full title automatically transfers to the surviving owner upon the death of a joint tenant.
The outcome of the case could have implications beyond this dispute:
• Joint tenancy is a widely used form of home ownership in Utah,designed to allow property to pass automatically to the surviving owner when one owner dies.
• The appeal asks the Utah Court of Appeals to clarify whether survivorship rights remain intact when a divorce decree includes conditions that were never fulfilled during a party’s lifetime.
• The ruling could influence how courts handle similar disputes involving divorce settlements, probate claims, and property ownership across the state.
• For homeowners, the decision may determine how much certainty survivorship deeds provide when divorce and death intersect.
Oral argument in Slaughter v. Alleman (Appeal No. 20250180-CA) before the Utah Court of Appeals is scheduled for March 19, 2026.
The court’s eventual decision may clarify the limits of probate authority and the level of certainty Utah homeowners can rely on when using survivorship deeds after divorce and death intersect.
Slaughter’s attorney is available to respond to media inquiries regarding the legal issues presented in the case.
Ryann Anderegg | American Fork Citizen
Utah County community members are invited to join the March #LoveYourWatershed Cleanup on Saturday, March 14, hosted by the Jordan River Commission. The volunteer event starts at 10 a.m. near Pioneer Crossing in Saratoga Springs, offering residents a chance to help prevent trash from reaching the Jordan River.
The cleanup is part of the commission’s Second Saturday volunteer initiative, which encourages individuals, families, and groups to join monthly efforts to remove litter from river-connected areas.
Participants will help collect trash and debris from streets, curbs, and nearby areas, which could otherwise be washed into storm drains and carried into the Jordan River. By removing litter before it reaches waterways, volunteers help protect wildlife, improve water quality, and keep public spaces cleaner for everyone.
The Jordan River is a vital environmental and recreational resource in northern Utah. Stretching over 50 miles, it flows from Utah Lake through the Salt Lake Valley and eventually empties into the Great Salt Lake. Along its route, the river passes through numerous cities and supports wildlife habitats, trails, and recreation areas used by thousands of residents each year.
Because the river flows through both urban and suburban areas, pollution prevention often begins far from the water itself. Trash left on sidewalks, roadsides, or parking lots can easily be washed into storm drains by rain or irrigation water, eventually reaching the river. Once debris enters the waterway, removing it becomes significantly more difficult.
Events like the #LoveYourWatershed Cleanup aim to stop that process early by targeting areas where trash gathers before it reaches the river system.
The Jordan River Commission emphasizes that protecting the watershed requires participation from residents, organizations, and government agencies. Through volunteer programs and community partnerships, the commission works to improve water quality, restore vegetation along the river corridor, and promote environmental stewardship across the region.
Volunteer events like the March cleanup enable community members to get involved, whether experienced or new to volunteering. Organizers emphasize the event’s welcoming and accessible nature.
Tools, trash bags, water, and snacks will be provided for participants. Volunteers are simply asked to dress appropriately for the weather and come prepared to spend time outdoors while making a difference in the community.
The cleanup takes place near Pioneer Crossing in Saratoga Springs, with parking available by a local bank and more at the north end of Riverside Drive.
Organizers note that each participant must register in advance using the online form to ensure there are enough tools and supplies available for the cleanup.
The event is free, open to all ages, and encourages families to attend and learn about environmental stewardship through hands-on community service.
Programs like #LoveYourWatershed help residents see how daily actions affect local waterways and foster appreciation for local ecosystems.
Cleanup events also build community, as friends, families, students, and civic groups often participate together for a shared cause.
The March cleanup is just one event in the Jordan River Commission’s year-round volunteer calendar. Additional cleanup days, restoration projects, and conservation programs take place throughout the year along the river corridor.
Organizers hope residents who take part in the March event will return for future cleanups and encourage others to join.
By working together, volunteers can help ensure the Jordan River remains a healthy, vibrant natural resource for generations to come.
Register now for the March #LoveYourWatershed Cleanup through the Jordan River Commission’s website at jordanrivercommission.gov and be part of protecting your local waterway.
With tools provided and a welcoming atmosphere, the event offers a simple yet meaningful way to protect the watershed, one piece of trash at a time.
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