Utah Electrification Initiative’s Budget Approved into 3rd Year 

The Utah Electrification Initiative (UEI) marked a major milestone last week as the program’s Steering Committee unanimously greenlit the continuation of this statewide collaborative effort into its 3rd year. With the approval of UEI’s 2025–2026 budget, the UEI team may continue developing and coordinating statewide projects shaping the future of transportation, energy, and economic growth across Utah. From deploying cutting-edge electrified transportation infrastructure solutions and technologies to forming deep local partnerships, UEI’s second year showed just how far Utah’s electrification strategic planning and ecosystem-building efforts have come — driven by clear next steps and impactful long-term goals.

An Impactful Year in Retrospective

UEI has transitioned from laying groundwork to initiating action. After a pivotal year of data collection, scenario modeling, impact research, action planning and deploying, the initiative has sharpened its focus on four core areas: charging infrastructure, power systems, coordinated multi-modal hubs, and electrification workforce development. This streamlined approach ensures that efforts remain targeted, efficient, and impactful statewide as UEI aligns with and helps guide the state’s electrified transportation infrastructure plans. 

Our team has also modeled statewide charging needs and infrastructure for light-duty vehicles, freight trucks, transit, and even light aviation. Building on these infrastructure forecasts—in partnership with state and local utilities and transportation agencies—UEI is developing power infrastructure optimization strategies to ensure Utah’s electric future is both reliable and scalable. 

Utah electrification isn’t just about planning—its about building. A Kenworth Truck Co. class 8 semi-truck recently underwent cold-weather testing at the ASPIRE Research Center’s Electric Vehicle and Roadway (EVR) facility in North Logan. This is a major milestone in ensuring that electric heavy-duty trucks can traverse cold winter roads. A class 6 Kenworth K270E electric truck has also been procured for upcoming electrification deployments in the state of Utah and is momentarily leveraged as a training tool for diesel engine mechanics cross-training at Kenworth Sales Co. in West Valley City. Finally, permitting for electric roadway construction at the Inland Port in Salt Lake City is underway, with a ribbon cutting ceremony to follow. 

Regional Approaches to Reach Statewide Goals

Utah’s electrification effort must pair its innovative technology with voices from every corner of the state to succeed. That’s why we are placing a strong emphasis on rural engagement in addition to urban representation. UEI’s goal is to ensure that every community in Utah—from small towns to major cities—has a voice in building the State’s electrified future. Our leaders and team members have recently begun their “regional listening tour,” visiting rural areas and meeting with local stakeholders to discuss needs and collaborate on mutually beneficial solutions. These visits have so far included a meeting with local government, community leaders, and industry stakeholders from the R6 Regional Council in Richfield, UT and several other significant stakeholders across the state. More regional tours, outreach efforts, and local visits are scheduled for the months ahead.  Electrification took center stage at both the Cache Valley Economic Summit and the ACT Expo—one of the world’s largest showcases for advanced commercial vehicle technology in the world. At the ACT Expo, more than 12,000 attendees, including over 275 industry stakeholders and technology experts, heard from UEI and ASPIRE leaders about how electrification is strengthening Utah and the nation by improving the reliability of energy and e-mobility systems.  Our communications strategy is evolving to build public awareness and connect stakeholders across the state through the launch of two new public-facing resources: Utah Electrification News and corresponding newsletter. These resources aim to serve as the go-to source for news and information surrounding Utah’s electrification ecosystem, offering bi-weekly overviews of expert insights, project highlights, electric vehicle technology and electrified transportation infrastructure developments, along with upcoming events and opportunities for the public to engage and inform our team’s efforts.  To expand outreach capacity, UEI also welcomed eight summer marketing and communication interns contributing to the Initiative’s statewide awareness efforts, while preparing the next generation of talented communicators to be workforce-ready.  From research to reality, electrification is capturing Utahns imagination across rural communities and freight-critical roadways alike. To learn more details about the ongoing electrification of Utah, see our 2024-25 annual report or follow our progress online as UEI partners with Utah in leading the charge toward a more connected future.