Utah Office of Energy Development

06/14/2026

We asked Utahns of all ages to color Mary's energy pages. We did not expect a 30-year-old named Alex to deliver a four-season pinwheel masterpiece AND add a classical wind cherub blowing it from the side. 🌬️🎨

And yet. Here we are. Absolutely no notes.
Wind energy is one of Utah's growing renewable resources -- large turbines placed in open fields and hilltops spin with the breeze to generate clean electricity. People have been harnessing wind power for centuries, and apparently Alex has been harnessing his inner artist for just as long.

Mary created these coloring pages herself to introduce Utah's energy sources to kids PreK through 3rd grade. This is energy literacy in action, and it fits right in with Gov. Spencer J. Cox's push to get great learning tools into Utah homes and classrooms. But as Alex has proven, there is no age limit on learning -- or on adding a cherub. 😇

Download your own pages and show us what you've got: https://energy.utah.gov/stem/

06/13/2026

𝗣𝗼𝗽 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘇: 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗨𝘁𝗮𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹?

As Utah's Office of Energy Development, wind is very much on our radar -- and apparently on yours too. So we brought one of our experts to answer the question directly.

No jargon, no spin -- just real talk about what Utah's wind can (and can't) do for our energy future.

Hit play and let us know what you think in the comments! And tag a friend who always argues about energy at Thanksgiving dinner.

06/12/2026

Free food AND free answers about nuclear energy? Now you’re talking.

The Utah Office of Energy Development is coming to Wayne County on June 27 for a community event in Bicknell! We're talking food trucks, pulled pork sandwiches, live music, AND a real conversation about modern nuclear technology and what it means for Utah.

Not sure how you feel about nuclear? That's exactly why you should come. No jargon, no pressure -- just honest info and a good time.

Kids' activities too!

June 27 | 80 N 200 E, Bicknell, UT 84715 | Free to attend

Tag a neighbor who should know about this!

06/11/2026

Alright Carbon County, we're going to give you TWO very good reasons to show up on June 18th. 🥨🍦

Free expert-led conversation about civil nuclear energy and what it means for YOUR community. Free pretzels and ice cream.

Workshop 2 of our "Powering Tomorrow" series is coming up fast and we are not above bribing you with snacks to get you in the room. (It's a really good conversation, though. We promise.)

Speaker name dropping very soon -- stay tuned right here. In the meantime, save the date and tell a friend. Or honestly, just tell them about the ice cream. We're not proud.

June 18 | Carbon County Events Center | 7:00 PM | Free

👇 Tag someone who would show up just for the free food and accidentally learn something about energy!

Why NuclearBenefits of NuclearHow Nuclear WorksAdvanced NuclearResourcesFAQsEventsWhy NuclearBenefits of NuclearHow Nuclear WorksAdvanced NuclearResourcesFAQsEventsWhy Nuclearfor Utah’s Energy Future Nuclear reactors generate electricity without burning fuel, so they produce no smoke, soot, ... Re...

06/10/2026

Quick question: When you hear "nuclear," what's the first image that comes to mind?

If it's a mushroom cloud -- you're not alone. Hollywood has done a number on nuclear's reputation.

Here's what's actually true:
A nuclear BOMB is designed to release ALL of its energy at once, as fast as physically possible. That's the entire point.

A nuclear POWER PLANT is designed to do the exact opposite. Every single part of its design is built around controlling, slowing, and -- if needed -- completely stopping the reaction. It has more fail-safes than a commercial airplane.

Also worth knowing: 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝟯-𝟱% 𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘂𝗺, 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝟮𝟬% 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀. 𝗕𝗼𝗺𝗯-𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟵𝟬% These are not the same thing, and you cannot turn one into the other at a power plant. The laws of physics won't let you.

Same word. Completely different science. Completely different purpose.

Drop a question below -- we'll answer it straight, no jargon.

06/07/2026

Meet John. He's 9. And he just colored his way through three of Utah's most fascinating energy sources. ⚛️🔥🌋

Utah OED team member Mary created these coloring pages from scratch -- writing every kid-friendly explanation herself and using graphics from the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project -- so young Utahns could learn where their energy actually comes from. John took it from there with his crayons, and honestly? We think he nailed it.

Did you know natural gas is naturally odorless? A rotten egg smell is added ON PURPOSE so you can detect a leak. 🥚 That's the kind of fun fact that sticks with a kid forever.

These FREE pages cover nuclear, natural gas, AND geothermal -- and they're part of a larger set covering all of Utah's energy sources, from wind and solar to coal and biomass. Download them, print them, and hand them to a curious kid. This is energy literacy in action, and it fits right in with Governor Cox's push to get great learning tools into Utah homes and classrooms.

Download and share. 👇
https://energy.utah.gov/stem/

06/06/2026

Quick question -- if you got a sunburn on the ski slopes last February, what does that tell you about solar panels in the winter?

Turns out, quite a bit. Watch our expert break it down in plain English. No jargon, we promise.

What is your question for our experts? Leave it below.

06/04/2026

Mark your calendars, Carbon County! 📅

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝟮 𝗼𝗳 "𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄" 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟴𝘁𝗵 -- and if the first one was any indication, you won't want to miss it.

This free three-part series is all about YOU getting real answers to real questions about energy -- what's changing, what it means for our jobs and our community, and what comes next for Utah.
We'll have speaker and topic details for you very soon. In the meantime, tell a neighbor, save the date, and stay tuned right here for the big reveal.

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹. And it just might change how you think about where your power comes from.
June 18 | Carbon County Events Center | 7:00 PM
👇 What energy topic do YOU want covered? Drop it in the comments!

06/03/2026

Ever notice your lights flicker and then... everything's fine? No explanation, no outage, just a quick blip?

Good news: that's the grid working exactly like it's supposed to.
Modern circuit breakers on Utah's power grid constantly watch for problems like lightning strikes, falling branches, and equipment hiccups. The moment something goes wrong, they cut off that tiny section of the grid to prevent bigger damage -- then automatically try to switch it back on a second later.

Think of it like a breaker in your home's electrical panel, but smarter, faster, and protecting thousands of homes at once.
That quick flicker isn't random. It's your grid quietly fixing a problem before you even noticed there was one.

Pretty cool, right? Utah's Office of Energy Development is here to keep you informed about how your energy works -- and how we're working to make it even better.

05/31/2026

May 31st is National Dam Safety Awareness Day -- and we are absolutely here for it. 💧

Did you know Utah has hydroelectric power plants that use flowing water to generate clean electricity? It's one of the oldest forms of renewable energy on the planet, and Utah's dams do double duty: they store our precious water AND power our communities.

Today, we tip our hats to the engineers and crews who keep these structures safe, strong, and running. We take dam safety seriously around here. 😄

Drop a 💧 if you've ever visited a Utah reservoir!