Chair's Initiative
Energy Superabundance: Unlocking Prosperity in the West
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The Western Governors’ Association (WGA) represents the Governors of the 22 westernmost states and territories. WGA is an instrument of the Governors for bipartisan policy development, information exchange, and collective action on issues of critical importance to the West.
The 2026 WGA Chair initiative of Utah Governor Spencer Cox will focus on examining challenges and opportunities for expanding production, transmission, and storage options across the energy spectrum to unlock more reliable, secure, and affordable energy to meet growing demand and achieve energy abundance across the West.
This survey is intended to help WGA design the initiative by identifying: (1) priority issues for gubernatorial leadership, including regulatory, technical, economic, and market opportunities for states to support energy abundance efforts; (2) best practices for developing energy resources and infrastructure in the West; (3) federal policy issues for potential WGA advocacy and; (4) individuals or organizations interested in participating in this initiative, including workshops and webinars.
If you are interested in financially supporting the 2026 WGA Chair initiative, please contact Sarah Olsen, WGA Director of Development ([email protected]).
At WGA’s Annual Meeting this afternoon, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham officially passed the WGA Chair’s gavel to Utah Governor Spencer Cox.
Governor Cox will assume the role of WGA Chair for the next year, with Hawaii Governor Josh Green elected to serve as Vice Chair.
Upon receiving the gavel from Governor Lujan Grisham, Governor Cox announced that his year-long Chair’s initiative will focus on ways to meet the growing demand for energy in the West.
Titled, Energy Superabundance: Unlocking Prosperity in the West, Governor Cox’s initiative will examine challenges and opportunities for expanding production, modernizing transmission, and supporting advanced generation technologies, with the objective to build the backbone of a more reliable, affordable, and secure grid.
“Governor Lujan Grisham has been a tremendous Chair, showing real leadership in uniting us around addressing the housing crisis,” said Governor Cox. “Our new focus on energy is bold—and urgently needed. It’s been nearly 50 years since we’ve had this kind of moment: rising demand, available capital, and the political will to build. And that’s exactly what we intend to do.”