AGP Executive Report

Data Center Investment: A new Box Elder County water permit details the proposed Stratos campus: 11 data-center clusters and 7.5 gigawatts of natural-gas generation. Developers say it would use less water than the land’s past agricultural operations. Geothermal Power: Utah’s next-generation geothermal sector is drawing attention, but a report says the state hosts a major plant without receiving its electricity. Restaurant Finance: Salt Lake City-based Savory Fund raised $201.5 million for its third investment fund, despite a difficult fundraising market. Construction Technology: Wheeler Machinery plans to acquire SITECH Intermountain, adding a dedicated construction-technology team. Mining and Public Lands: A federal judge reopened lawsuits challenging cuts to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, allowing legal challenges to proceed as mining claims emerge on land removed from the monuments.

Great Salt Lake: A Weber State survey finds Utah households would pay more than $100 a year through taxes or utility bills to help restore the lake, if they believe the money will make a difference. Data Center Buildout: Utah is among the states with major data-center projects under construction, while Iron County advances rules and a water permit application for the proposed Stratos center is expected soon. Construction Technology: Wheeler Machinery plans to acquire SITECH Intermountain, adding a dedicated construction-technology team. Energy: Fervo’s planned 4-gigawatt Utah geothermal plant could supply major new power, though a report says Utah customers won’t benefit initially. Manufacturing Jobs: Southern Utah is set to gain 90 aerospace and manufacturing jobs, adding to the region’s industrial base. Transportation: Work on the Provo Canyon highway project has reached a milestone and is expected to continue through 2028.

Federal Workforce: A judge temporarily blocked the planned move of the U.S. Forest Service headquarters to Utah, putting the relocation on hold. Construction Technology: Wheeler Machinery plans to acquire SITECH Intermountain, adding a dedicated construction technology team. Tourism: Eagle Point Ski Resort will remain closed for the 2026–27 season after wildfire damage and flooding, leaving most resort employees without work for now. Development: Utah City’s developer is courting South Korean builders for the large mixed-use project on the former Geneva Steel site, seeking high-rise expertise. Manufacturing Jobs: Southern Utah is set to gain 90 aerospace and manufacturing jobs. Energy and Data: Rocky Mountain Power is seeking public input on a proposed 54-mile transmission line in southern Utah, while a water permit application for the Stratos data center is expected soon.

Biotech Investment: Salt Lake City’s Recursion says Sanofi selected a potential first-in-class drug candidate from their collaboration, triggering a $10 million milestone. Recursion also priced a $200 million stock offering to fund its clinical programs. Aerospace Jobs: St. George-based Baxter Aerospace plans to invest nearly $19.6 million in its Washington City expansion, adding 90 high-paying jobs and about 30,000 square feet of production space over five years. Urban Development: Flagship Companies is courting South Korean builders for Utah City, its planned $2.5 billion mixed-use development in Vineyard, with housing, offices, retail and cultural space. Energy Infrastructure: Rocky Mountain Power is seeking public input on a proposed 54-mile transmission line along I-15 in southern Utah, while a permit application for the Stratos data center is expected soon. Local Retail: Juice It Up! has opened its first Utah store in Herriman, launching a planned statewide expansion with local franchise partners.

Advanced Manufacturing: Baxter Aerospace is expanding production in Washington City, and Advance Displays has opened a headquarters and distribution center in Riverton. Energy & Data Centers: Fervo’s planned geothermal project in southwestern Utah has major contracts with California utilities and Google, but Utah customers aren’t yet set to receive its power. Meanwhile, scrutiny of data center growth is intensifying as operators seek new energy supplies. Construction & Growth: Utah has built 7,909 of its targeted 35,000 starter homes by mid-2026, less than a quarter of the goal. Salt Lake leaders also unveiled updated downtown plans, and the University of Utah approved $39.1 million for Rice-Eccles Stadium renovations. Life Sciences: Estrella Immunopharma added Intermountain Health LDS Hospital as a clinical site for its lymphoma treatment trial; BYU’s new medical school received preliminary accreditation and can recruit its first class. Local Business: Salt Lake City businesses continue to feel pressure from rising costs as consumer prices rose 3.7% over the year.

Stadium Investment: The University of Utah approved a $39.1 million Rice-Eccles Stadium renovation, funded through capital-improvement money tied to its deal with private-equity firm Otro Capital. Plans add suites and clubs. Digital Finance: Salt Lake City’s TruGolf Links tapped its Polymath subsidiary to put its franchise ownership records on regulated digital-securities infrastructure, as the network eyes more than 221 locations. Energy and Data Centers: HF Sinclair’s proposed fuel pipeline drew fresh questions from Salt Lake City leaders and homeowners along its route. Meanwhile, growing data-center demand is intensifying debate over power supply and development in Utah’s rural communities. Business Climate: Utah business owners from 11 industries met with lawmakers in Pleasant Grove to discuss regulatory hurdles, including beef-inspection rules and water-reuse policies. Local Manufacturing: American Fork-based ThermoWorks began shipping its first precision kitchen scale, extending the company’s measurement expertise into a new product line.

Energy & Data Centers: Clearway Energy expanded its Utah Energy Centre to 2,120 MWh as demand from data centers raises questions about power supplies. Rural Utah communities are pushing back on new projects, while a proposed 54-mile Rocky Mountain Power line would serve Cedar City. Land & Infrastructure: Utah groups sued to stop a Nine Mile Canyon road expansion for oil-tanker traffic, arguing the project threatens Indigenous rock art, historic sites and wildlife. Hospitality Workforce: Wasatch Back resorts face rising hiring needs: Deer Valley’s East Village could require about 6,000 workers within a decade, and Summit County forecasts 13% leisure and hospitality job growth. UVU’s resort-management program is training local students for the sector. Agriculture: Utah opened grants of $1,500 to $10,000 for community workshops on soil health and water-efficient farming practices. Research & Technology: The University of Utah’s new Redtail supercomputer aims to expand AI research and computing access across the state.

Energy Storage: Clearway Energy expanded its Utah Energy Center to 2,120 MWh, adding capacity to a portfolio the company says represents about $600 million in investment. Life Sciences: Utah’s biotech and life sciences sector generates more than $21 billion in annual GDP and pays wages 48% above the state average, according to BioHive. Advanced Manufacturing: Orem-based Reflect Scientific launched a freezer combining blast and plate technologies for biopharma, blood products and cell therapies. Electric Aviation: BETA completed Utah test flights carrying medical cargo between Salt Lake City, Provo and Logan, demonstrating potential for time-sensitive deliveries. Data Center Debate: Rural Utah communities are pushing back on proposed data center projects, while Iron County officials consider rules for development. Rocky Mountain Power also plans a 54-mile transmission line through Cedar City.

Electric Aviation: BETA Technologies tested medical-cargo flights between Salt Lake City, Provo and Logan with Alpine Air Express, demonstrating electric aircraft operations Utah hopes to expand ahead of the 2034 Olympics. Data Centers: Iron County’s planning panel advanced data-center rules despite calls to wait. In Juab County, residents of Mona are protesting a 3-million-square-foot project they say was approved without notifying nearby landowners. Energy Permitting: Sen. Martin Heinrich promoted a bipartisan bill, negotiated in part with Utah Sen. Mike Lee, to speed permits for energy projects and transmission lines. Housing Construction: A Plain City builder is developing 275 starter homes priced below $450,000, targeting demand for more affordable homes. Tourism: Carbon County received a $143,300 state marketing grant, matched by county funds, for a 2027 campaign highlighting the area’s mining and railroad heritage, recreation and dark skies.

Energy Investment: Woods Cross-based Sky Quarry says CEO Marcus Laun will outline the restart of its Nevada refinery and plans for Utah’s PR Spring oil-sands resource at an investor conference on Oct. 15. Healthcare Technology: Lehi’s Weave has launched an integration with CareCredit, letting medical practices view patients’ financing options within their front-office workflow. Energy Policy: Utah Sen. John Curtis joined a bipartisan group urging President Trump to reverse a Russian diesel import deal, arguing it conflicts with federal law and sanctions. Data Centers: An Iron County planning panel advanced data-center rules despite calls to delay, as local debate over the projects continues. Agriculture: Utah farmers say rising costs and competition for workers are squeezing already-thin margins and making it harder to keep farms staffed.

Great Salt Lake: More than 800 square miles of lakebed are exposed, with researchers identifying 70 square miles of active dust hotspots. Utah faces mounting air-quality risks and the cost of addressing them. Housing Construction: Nilson Homes is building 275 Plain City starter homes under $450,000, using smaller lots and one-car or no-garage designs to lower costs. Aerospace: Sierra Space tested its Ghost reentry vehicle at Dugway Proving Ground, recovering a payload intact and demonstrating precision landing. Data Centers: Utah projects face growing scrutiny over power and water demands, while residents push for more transparency and tougher local rules. Critical Minerals: Ares Strategic Mining is set to open a fluorspar processing plant in Delta, adding domestic mineral-processing capacity.

Energy Policy: Sen. Mike Lee is backing a bipartisan bill to speed permits for power lines, solar farms and oil and gas infrastructure as data-center demand drives up power needs and costs. Data Centers: A proposed 3-million-square-foot facility in Mona has stirred resident opposition over water use and limited notice; Tooele County residents are also urging officials to delay data-center rules amid power and water concerns. Critical Minerals: Ares Strategic Mining is preparing to open its fluorspar processing plant in Delta, while Anson Resources says Utah incentives have raised the modeled value of its Green River lithium project. Manufacturing: U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is scheduled to tour Utah advanced-manufacturing plants.

Advanced Manufacturing: U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is set to tour Utah manufacturing plants, bringing attention to the state’s role in domestic production and trade. Energy & Land Use: Conservation groups are suing over a plan to blast historic cliffs in eastern Utah for an oil-truck highway, citing damage to cultural sites and wildlife. Healthcare Technology: Utah’s AI health pilots include tools for drug management and women’s health, while questions remain about federal oversight. Data Centers: Counties are weighing a new wave of data center proposals against concerns over water and power; Tooele County has tabled draft rules. Housing & Construction: A Plain City development offers starter homes below $450,000, using smaller houses and lots to improve affordability. Clean Technology: A hydrogen race car set a provisional 406-mph record at Bonneville Salt Flats, showcasing Utah’s role as a proving ground for new engineering.

Housing & Construction: Utah developer Nilson Homes is building 275 smaller starter homes at JDC Ranch in Plain City, with one 1,900-square-foot home selling for under $450,000. State officials say smaller lots and more density are key to keeping homeownership within reach. Manufacturing: U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer plans to tour Utah plants Oct. 15–16, including Lifetime Products, Texas Instruments and Varex Imaging, spotlighting the state’s role in advanced manufacturing and supply chains. Health Technology: Utah’s expanded AI health sandbox includes pilots for acne prescriptions and chronic-medication refills, while Intermountain and University of Utah Health can fast-track reviews of future projects. Consumer Safety: Utah investigators linked four deaths to products marketed as herbal supplements after finding potent, controlled kratom-derived compounds; state agencies are working with law enforcement and the FDA to identify suppliers. Food Service: Crumbl CEO Jason McGowan said he should have anticipated restaurant-industry headwinds sooner, as the Utah-based cookie chain works through pressure affecting fast-casual businesses.

Health-tech: Utah’s AI sandbox is moving beyond refills: Nolla Health has begun a supervised pilot for AI-written initial acne prescriptions, while August AI will test chronic-medication refills. Independent evaluators will assess safety before any broader rollout. Energy & data centers: Oracle kept a site outside Salt Lake City running for more than a year by trucking in compressed natural gas during pipeline delays. The costly stopgap reportedly runs about four times the price of pipeline gas, highlighting infrastructure challenges for AI growth. Clean power: Rocky Mountain Power’s Community Clean Energy Program is expected to launch in January 2027, automatically enrolling residential, commercial and industrial customers in participating Summit County communities, with an opt-out option. Manufacturing: St. George-based Baxter Aerospace is expanding manufacturing, while Ares Strategic Mining is preparing to open a fluorspar processing plant in Delta. Local commerce: Crumbl CEO Jason McGowan took responsibility for not anticipating fast-casual headwinds, while expressing confidence in the Utah-founded chain and its franchisees.

Fuel Costs: Utah is among at least four states moving to temporarily cut or suspend gasoline taxes as fuel prices rise, while federal officials have also expanded tax-free diesel access. AI Infrastructure: Oracle used trucked natural gas to keep a data center near Salt Lake City moving while awaiting a pipeline connection, highlighting the power bottlenecks facing major projects. Real Estate Technology: eXp Realty unveiled an initiative at its Salt Lake City conference that lets agents connect their preferred AI tools directly to company business data. Manufacturing: Baxter Aerospace is expanding production in St. George, while Ares Strategic Mining is preparing to open a fluorspar processing plant in Delta. Geothermal Energy: Fervo Energy has declared commercial operation at its Cape Station project ahead of schedule, advancing Utah’s next-generation geothermal sector.