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Save the Date: Annual Continuing Education Conference

Date: February 23, 2024

The Utah Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE-UT) will host the Annual Continuing Education Conference on Saturday, May 11, at the University of Utah Warnock Engineering Building. The full-day event is free to all licensed PEs.

The conference, cosponsored by University of Utah Engineering Alumni Association and the Utah Department of Occupational and Professional Licensing, will be a great opportunity to learn and earn continuing education hours toward license renewal. A virtual broadcast will be offered again this year for those not able to attend in-person. Registration information and details will be available in the March newsletter.


NCEES Seeks Structural Engineering Expertise

Date: February 23, 2024

NCEES is in the process of assembling panels of licensed structural engineers and licensed professional engineers to participate in a series of two-day meetings to determine the cut score, or establish the pass point, for the 2024 Principles and Practice of Structural Engineering exam. This process requires a cross-section of engineers from various employment positions and technical specialties. NCEES asks that you consider volunteering to assist with this important work. Access more information here.


What Does 'Energy Independence' Really Mean for Utah?

Date: February 23, 2024

Republican leadership at the state Legislature wants Utah to be self-sustaining when it comes to energy production, kuer.org reports. Before the 2024 General Session even started, Speaker of the House Mike Schultz pledged to not let Utah become a place where people "have to turn your thermostat to 80 degrees during the summer because there's not enough power."

"I don't want to rely on other parts of the world or other states to provide the energy for our citizens," he said. "We need to be self-sustaining, especially in the world that we're living in."

Blackouts and electrical grid issues in states like California and Texas are reasons why Schultz and Senate President Stuart Adams say it's in Utah's best interest to become energy independent.

"Let me be clear," Adams told his Senate colleagues on the opening day of the 2024 General Session, "we will not pay for the mistakes of other states and we will not stand by and pay the price or suffer the consequences of their poor policy decisions."

But what that means in practice is another question. "Energy independence means a lot of different things to a lot of different people," said University of Wyoming economics professor Rob Godby. "When you start talking about states being energy independent, of course it's possible. But the question is, at what cost?"

The issue, said Godby, is how the energy market is set up. Free trade allows wind power generated in Oregon or Washington to be transmitted to Utah. The same goes for Utah power, it often goes to out of state consumers if the price is right. Put simply, the market decides the flow of energy, not lawmakers.

Unwinding that complex market will be the challenge, especially for Utah's largest utility company, Rocky Mountain Power, and its parent company, Oregon-based PacifiCorp. Read more.


University Cybersecurity Program in the Works

Date: February 23, 2024

Utah State University will be the first school in Utah to offer a four-year cybersecurity engineering degree, according to Jacob Gunther, the head of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

The goal is for the program to begin this fall. The degree is awaiting final approval by USU, but the Utah System of Higher Education, or USHE, supports it, The Utah Statesman reports. The College of Engineering is in the process of hiring two professors with expertise in the cybersecurity field, Gunther said. "We’ve had a desire to have a cybersecurity program here in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department for a long time," Gunther said.

Program development has been in the works for years, but only came about after the Utah Legislature allocated funds towards computer science in 2023. That is when the College of Engineering took a chance and submitted their proposed degree to the state.

"An area of computer science is cybersecurity," Gunther said. "We applied to that and were rewarded."

Cybersecurity engineering is a new and somewhat uncommon major — so far, there are only three accredited programs across the country.

Jacob Adams, a computer engineering major, said it seems like security is something missing from the current curriculum. "We don't really talk about security in any of our required classes," he wrote in a text message. "I'm sure it will be a great addition to USU."

According to Indeed, cybersecurity engineers design, develop and implement highly secure network solutions that prevent cyberattacks and hacking threats. Cybersecurity professionals are invaluable to businesses as data is increasingly vulnerable to expensive attacks. The International Business Machines Corporation found in a study of 500 organizations that data breaches cost $4.24 million per incident on average. Read more.

A Roadmap for Rescuing Utah's Great Salt Lake

Date: January 19, 2024

Conserving water won't be enough to restore the depleted Great Salt Lake, the signature Utah landscape whose existence as a functioning ecosystem remains seriously imperiled from low water levels and rising salinity.

Much of the water saved by Utah cities and farms through various conservation measures will have to be allowed to flow into the terminal lake if its levels are to rebound and remain at a safe level, according to Utah's Great Salt Lake Strike Team, which released its latest data analysis just ahead of Utah's upcoming legislative session.

To get the lake up to a healthy level within 30 years, it will need to see average inflows increase by 471,000 acre-feet a year, a roughly 33% increase in the amount that has reached the lake in recent years.

"We really need to focus on water shepherding going forward to make sure that the water that we conserve gets to the lake," said team co-chair Brian Steed at a Newsmaker Breakfast hosted by the University of Utah's Gardner Policy Institute in Salt Lake City.

"Water conservation efforts will be ineffective for Great Salt Lake if conserved water fails to reach it," the report states. "The shepherding process requires accurate measurement, robust accounting models, and timely adjustments so depletions can be accurately quantified."

This idea is a key point in the strike team's legislative report, which will be followed in the coming weeks with a series of policy sketches, each exploring a specific area for lawmakers' consideration. Read more.


Clean Energy Advocates Set Their Sights on Utah Legislative Reforms

Date: January 19, 2024

Utah Clean Energy has set it sights on a number of measures and funding priorities for the 2024 state legislative session, moves they say will boost Utah's efforts to reduce air pollution.

Sarah Wright, chief executive officer of the organization, told the Deseret News that lawmakers would be wise to tap into a federal funding stream from the Utah Department of Transportation that sets aside $4 million a year for five years. While talks are preliminary and very early in the process, Wright said this could be one way to incentivize getting some of the dirtiest burning vehicles off the road. Wright said even though trucks make a small percentage of the overall fleet, they contribute 30% of the nitrogen oxide emissions and other precursor chemicals that cause PM2.5.

Utah Clean Energy wants to do more to supplement investment in the EV charging grid, making it more accessible to users. In addition, the group is pushing lawmakers to take steps to fund a bill that passed two years ago to update the state's business and home energy codes.

Home and buildings account for 40% of US dioxide emissions and simple steps like improving the building's "envelope" can make a significant impact in pollution. Read more.


Utah Museum Opens 'A Climate of Hope' Exhibit

Date: January 19, 2024

Natural History Museum of Utah has opened "A Climate of Hope," a new exhibit to inspire optimism and action for a better future in the face of climate change, the Daily Utah Chronicle reports.

Exhibit developer Lisa Thompson said they took a unique approach to "A Climate of Hope" compared to other exhibits focused on climate change, "Typical museum exhibits about climate change were very data heavy, and they tended to be very gloomy … and they tended to often focus on faraway places," Thompson said. "And we know from the field of climate communication research that’s been growing … that those just aren’t very effective ways to help people learn about climate change or to help them know how they can be part of climate solutions."

The interactive exhibit shows how climate change impacts Utah and how people around the state are implementing solutions. Visitors are shown volunteer opportunities they can take part in to combat climate change at the local level.

"A Climate of Hope" is the first permanent exhibition at the NHMU in 12 years. Thompson said development on the exhibit started in 2019. "[We did] interviews and surveys with visitors to understand what they know about climate change, what they feel about climate change and what they would like to see in the climate change exhibit," Thompson said. "We did that just before the pandemic shut everything down." Read more.

UDOT Plans $945M Light Rail System

Date: December 20, 2023

The Utah Department of Transportation has released plans for its phased approach to roll out the Point of the Mountain Transit Project, ksl.com reports.

The plans include an anticipated $945 million investment into the buildout of a light rail transit system (the system currently used for Utah Transit Authority's TRAX system). The schedule for its completion will be established as funding plans are developed for the project, according to the transit study.

"We have some major opportunities for economic development in the area," said Marcus Bennett, project manager at Utah Transit Authority. "We know that employment and population will grow in this area. Let's plan transit to be prepared to meet the demands. We know that transit can act as a drive of economic development there and throughout the area."

The project will reside with the Utah Department of Transportation through construction, with UTA continuing as a partner in the project. Once construction is complete, UTA will be responsible for all transit operations. Read more.


Salt Lake City Joins Federal Lawsuit Challenging UDOT

Date: December 20, 2023

Salt Lake City and Sandy recently filed a joint lawsuit against the Utah Department of Transportation and other government agencies in federal court for allegedly failing to adequately review the full environmental impacts associated with transportation projects proposed for Little Cottonwood Canyon, Axios Salt Lake City reports.

The municipalities are challenging an environmental impact study released by UDOT in July, which includes the agency's approval of a $729-million gondola aimed at mitigating ski traffic in the canyon during the ski season. The plaintiffs are asking the court to halt transportation developments in the canyon until a new environmental assessment can be completed.

The Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake and Sandy is also named as a plaintiff. The US Forest Service and the Federal Highway Administration are listed as defendants.
Details: The complaint alleges the agencies did not sufficiently study how the transportation projects would impact the drinking water supply.

"The entirety of Little Cottonwood Canyon is a critical drinking water source protection area for the Salt Lake metropolitan area," per the lawsuit. Read more.


Los Alamos National Lab Shipping Radioactive Waste in Utah

Date: December 20, 2023

Los Alamos National Lab's radiological and hazardous waste from years past has been disposed of at off-site facilities at rates that have exceeded expectations, The Center Square reports. The move helps the Lab mitigate hazards to workers, the community, and the environment, "while sustaining the national security mission," according to the lab.

"What's more, the lab's off-site shipments of waste outpaced the rate of waste generation even as its mission to develop plutonium pits expanded," the lab said.

The lab generated 817 containers of transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste in Fiscal Year 2023. It included protective clothing, tools, and equipment contaminated from nuclear weapons production and research. The lab got rid of more containers than those generated, including TRU waste from past years. It shopped a total of 885 containers off-site.

In 68 shipments, the containers left the lab to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, New Mexico, which the release describes as "the nation's underground repository for defense-generated nuclear waste."

The lab ships its low-level waste and mixed low-level waste to facilities like Waste Control Specialists in western Andrews County, Texas, and Energy Solutions in Clive, Utah, about 75 miles from Salt Lake City. Also, it ships its transuranic waste (TRU) to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico, a spokesman for the lab told The Center Square. Read more.


Miss USU Uses Platform to Encourage Women in STEM

Date: December 20, 2023

Utah State University engineering student Regan Tracy fell in love with space exploration and STEM at 10 years old and decided right then and there she wanted to grow up to be an engineer. That was the passion behind her platform while running as Miss USU: creating a new inclusive environment for underrepresented groups in STEM.

"Stepping out of your comfort zone is difficult, but it's even more difficult when you're in a setting with people who don't look like you," Tracy said. "But all the best things happen when you challenge yourself, and I wanted to challenge others in engineering to do the same thing."

Tracy was crowned Miss USU in April 2023 as a part of a pageant that happens annually. Although she did not expect to win, Tracy wanted to use the opportunity to share her love of engineering and step out of her comfort zone. Friends and family alike flocked to support her that night.

"It felt like time slowed down when they said I had won," she said. "I was so overwhelmed with love and gratitude for those who came out to support me. It pushed me to really do my best in this position."

As Miss USU, Tracy represents the university at sports events, student events and every engineering event she can find time to attend. She has spoken with young women about internship experiences, run booths at Science Unwrapped conferences and is even the Utah Society of Women Engineers SWENext counselor, encouraging girls to get involved in STEM. In October, Tracy was awarded the Student Pathway Award from the Women in Tech Council for her dedication to her STEM studies. Read the full Utah State Today article.

Utah Cities Abandon Plan for a Nuclear Power Plant

Date: November 16, 2023

After nearly a decade of planning, the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems has given up its effort to provide 27 communities with nuclear power by 2029, The Salt Lake City Tribune reports.

UAMPS and NuScale, the company that was going to build and operate small nuclear reactors at the Idaho National Laboratory, jointly announced that they were ending the "Carbon Free Power Project." The project would have provided power to Bountiful, Brigham City, and 25 other communities, most of them in Utah.

Mason Baker, UAMPS CEO and general manager, said in an interview that it was "a disappointing outcome" for the cities and towns pursuing the project, but neither UAMPS nor NuScale could find enough utilities or government power systems willing to commit to the project.

The cities had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars since 2015 on preliminary work for CFPP, but UAMPS had negotiated "off-ramps" where the cities could quit before having to issue bonds to come up with their share for the multi-billion-dollar project.

With no one else signing on, they elected to take an off ramp, Baker said. "The most prudent decision was not to make further expenditures." Read more.


Construction on 'Vital' New Southern Utah Reservoir Now Underway

Date: November 16, 2023

A ceremony on November 7 to break ground on a new reservoir in southwest Utah was about 20 years in the making, but it's well worth the wait, says Washington County Commissioner Gil Almquist. "It's amazing that it's taken this long ... but (it's) so vital to our reuse program," he said, standing on the land that will soon be a part of the new body of water.

The planned Toquer Reservoir, which is expected to take about two years to complete, won't be very large, ksl.com reports. Washington County Water Conservancy District officials say that it will cover about 115 acres near I-15 and state Route 17 north of Toquerville, where Ash Creek flows through. It's projected to contain as much as 3,725 acre-feet of water once it's filled, almost 14 times smaller than Sand Hollow, the district's largest reservoir.

The initial foundation work is currently expected to be completed by the spring of 2024. Embankment construction for the 125-foot tall, 1,270-foot wide dam is projected to take another 18 months after that, district officials said.

It's part of the $94 million Ash Creek Project, which includes an almost 19-mile pipeline that will connect the Ash Creek Reservoir near New Harmony to the new Toquer Reservoir. The Bureau of Land Management released an environmental assessment report about it in 2019, and its construction is already underway. It'll also collect water from the Leap, South Ash and Wet Sandy creeks. Read more.


Researchers Create Model for Colorado River Water Management

Date: November 16, 2023

Public policy scholars published a 339-page paper to help state and federal regulators manage water for the Colorado River Basin, The Center Square reports.

The Colorado River provides drinking water for approximately 40 million people in Arizona, California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Mexico. Its water also provides irrigation for approximately five million acres of farming, or 15% of the nation’s crop production, and livestock, approximately 13%.

Three professors from the University of California-Riverside collaborated with two representatives from the Utah Rivers Council to develop a "hydro-economic model" to provide answers for critical questions regarding management of the water resource. The analysis shows impacts to cities, states, tribes, farmers and wildlife conservation. It also suggests "out-of-the-box solutions that right now many stakeholders don't even want to mention," Ariel Dinar, one of the authors, said in a media release from the university announcing the publication.

Increased water use due to population growth and reductions due to climate change are examined in the analysis and are the basis for alternative water policies.

"This knowledge provides an understanding of the magnitude of growing socioeconomic and climate pressures in the basin," the analysis states. "This is important because of the rising chorus of scientists, water managers and policymakers who suspect the Colorado River Basin is approaching a tipping point." Read more.


NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.

NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.

Featured Job
Assistant/Associate/Full Professor in Transportation Engineering
Salt Lake City, UT


Utah's Bid for Federal Hydrogen Hub Comes Up Short

Date: October 19, 2023

The US Department of Energy has passed over Utah's bid with four other states to become a billion-dollar federal hydrogen hub in favor of seven other bids from around the country, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

DOE received 79 bids for the $7 billion hydrogen hub program, and the Western Interstate Hydrogen Hub (WISHH) from Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico was one of 33 bidders that were encouraged to submit more detailed applications.

But DOE ultimately chose seven others, including two in the West. The California hub and the Pacific Northwest hub (which included Washington, Oregon, and Montana) made the cut. The seven qualified for varying amounts between $750 million and $1.2 billion.

Utah's effort was coordinated by the Utah Office of Energy Development. The WISHH bid included two Utah projects seeking federal funding. One was an effort to make "renewable natural gas" from the wood waste created when forests are thinned. A company called Juniper Fuels heats the waste without burning it, capturing the methane that is produced. That methane is then used to produce hydrogen. Read more.


UVU Breaks Ground on $88M Engineering and Technology Building

Date: October 19, 2023

Much like Utah County itself, Utah Valley University is experiencing rapid growth. While this is a welcome sign for any university, it also presents some issues. For UVU, one such issue is the fact that the increasing number of students has led to some buildings not being able to keep pace with the growth trajectory, ksl.com reports.

This is certainly so for the College of Engineering and Technology — UVU led the state in terms of the total increase in engineering majors between 2018 and 2020 — and recently, the university took the first step in remedying this issue by breaking ground on the Scott M. Smith College of Engineering and Technology Building, named after Qualtrics co-founder Scott Smith. Smith and his wife, Karen Smith, gave UVU $25 million to help fund the building.

During the 2022-23 academic year, over 100 UVU students earned a degree in engineering. Now, the Scott M. Smith College of Engineering and Technology is home to 6,119 students, according to UVU President Astrid Tuminez.

"For the past five years, engineering programs have been borrowing space across campus," said Keith Mulberry, associate dean for academic affairs within the Smith College of Engineering and Technology. "Our faculty have been innovative in delivering high-quality education with limited resources, equipment and space."

Mulberry said that the new engineering building aims to alleviate this strain, calling it a "historical" moment for the university, faculty, and students. The new 180,000-square-foot, $88 million building will increase the square feet per student from 12 square feet to 60 square feet. Read more.


NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.

NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.

Featured Job
Dean, John and Marcia Price College of Engineering
Salt Lake City, UT


Utah DOT Signs Onto $14.3 Billion Transportation Program

Date: September 22, 2023

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has signed the largest transportation program in state history, totaling more than $14.3 billion over the next six years, Mass Transit reports.

The money will be used to build and improve Utah's roads, trails and transit system in collaboration with local planning organizations, cities and counties and will help provide transportation choices for everyone.

"Looking back, it's incredible to think that just 10 years ago, our program totaled $3 billion. During that time, our state has grown faster than any other state in the country and the increase in transportation funding reflects our commitment to meeting the needs of our growing population and economy, but even more impressive to me is the expanded scope of our responsibility, now versus 2013," said UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras in a statement. "This $14.3 billion will help us deliver not only smoother, safer and more efficient highways, but also expansions and improvements to our transit system and new trail segments as part of our statewide trail network."


Utah Reservoirs Get a Boost from Late Summer Monsoons

Date: September 22, 2023

A healthy monsoon season is helping to bolster Utah's water supply, with reservoir storage holding strong after an unusually wet back half of summer, The Spectrum reports.

After years of drought and fast-evaporating reservoirs, the end of 2022 and most of 2023 have been unusually wet, and the trend has continued in recent weeks, with record rainfall across large swaths of the state in August and plenty of monsoon moisture continuing into September.

"Monsoonal moisture may not have acted as a panacea for our reservoirs, but it has been a lifeline in reducing demand," Candice Hasenyager, director of the state Division of Water Resources recently stated. "It reminds us of nature's significant role in our quest for resilience, with reducing demand being the lever we can pull to secure our water future."

Evaporation is usually a major issue at state reservoirs, with the late summer heat burning off some of the already-low water levels caused by a drought that extended for the better part of two decades. This year, though, evaporation has been less of an issue. Read more.


Canadian Company is Buying Dominion Energy Utah Operations

Date: September 22, 2023

Utah's largest supplier of natural gas is heading to new ownership after Alberta, Canada-based Enbridge announced this week that it is buying Dominion Energy's Utah operations, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

If the sale is approved by federal and state regulators, Dominion's Utah customers — about 90% of the state — will get their natural gas from a foreign company that is a major player in the pipeline business, both natural gas and petroleum. The deal also includes Dominion's Wyoming and Idaho operations.

"We move about 30% of the crude oil produced in North America, we transport nearly 20% of the natural gas consumed in the US, and we operate North America's third-largest natural gas utility by consumer count," Calgary-based Enbridge states on its "about us" page.

The sale will include Dominion's Utah exploration and development arm, Wexpro, which supplies much of the gas Utahns burn. Including Wexpro, Dominion employs about 1,000 people in the state. Read more.


NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.

NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.

Featured Job
Department Chair
(Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Utah)
Salt Lake City, UT


Superfund Site Needs Great Salt Lake Water to Seal in Toxic Waste

Date: August 17, 2023

Add another potential disaster to the growing list associated with the shrinking Great Salt Lake: the implosion of the cleanup plan for the US Magnesium Superfund site, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

The plan, finalized just two years ago, requires sufficient water to create a salt "cap" sealing in the toxic waste left should the company eventually close.

"That's what the whole plan is predicated on — having saline water," said Ken Wangerud, a regional Superfund remedial project manager for the Environmental Protection Agency.

But the availability of and access to that water is far from certain given the dramatic contraction of the lake in recent years. Moreover, feasibility studies for possible contingency plans were never completed, Wangerud said.

The US Magnesium, which mines magnesium and other minerals from salts extracted from the Great Salt Lake at a facility 40 miles west of Salt Lake City, has for years illegally disposed of highly acidic hazardous waste in a network of open-air, earthen ditches and a 400-acre waste pond that lacked adequate environmental controls, according to EPA documents.

It is unusual for the EPA to designate an industrial site that is still operational as a Superfund project. Superfund is the colloquial name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980. The act was originally intended to fund the cleanup of long abandoned, environmentally hazardous sites like mines, where there was no owner or responsible party present to clean up the contaminants left behind. Read more.


Renewable Energy Program Projected to Come to Fruition in 2024

Date: August 17, 2023

The Salt Lake City Council unanimously passed a resolution during its July 18 meeting committing the city to the Utah Community Renewable Energy Program, kuer90.1 reports.

The program, coordinated by Rocky Mountain Power, aims to help communities meet a goal of net-100% renewable energy by 2030. In all, 18 Utah communities are poised to take the next step in realizing a yearslong process to establish it.

Salt Lake City, Park City, Castle Valley, Moab, Millcreek and Grand and Summit counties make up the seven "anchors" of the program. They are tasked with ensuring payment of the estimated $700,000 project implementation cost. The goal of reaching 100% renewable energy in Salt Lake City has been around since at least 2016.

"This is the single largest undertaking for the city as we work to meet our net 100% clean electricity goals and our 80% carbon reduction goals for the community," said Sophia Nicholas, the city's energy & environment division director. "We're about to, fingers crossed, work to achieve a very significant milestone with the Utah 100 Communities Agency."

That program has been in the works since 2019. A state law called the Community Renewable Energy Act allows municipalities to contract with utilities to offer cleaner energy options like wind and solar.

According to project estimates, Rocky Mountain Power could submit an application to the state this fall with a start date of early 2024, but there are still hurdles to cross before that happens. Read more.

Utah's Ongoing Efforts to Boost Dam Safety

Date: July 19, 2023

Dams are the lifeblood of the West. Without them, the region wouldn't be able to support metropolitan areas like Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, or southern California with critical drinking water and the ability to grow crops. Water is needed in the "bank" for use in times of drought.

But the West's dams are aging. Imagine being "born" in 1906, enlarged in 1916 and undergoing a portion of an upgrade in 2004? That’s a lot of years to fulfill your mission — especially if it is 2023 and there are decades of "life" still to come, the Deseret News reports.

Over time, things start to get stressed. The knees buckle, the back starts hurting. Arthritis kicks in. And in the case of dams, it is outdated infrastructure threatening the water supply — which threatens the future of farmers, ranchers and the public safety of people who live downstream from these structures.

With this record snowpack, the dams are spilling. That is a good thing — and what they were designed to do. But officials say now is the time to take a health check on the ones that need some rehabilitation.

"With aging infrastructure here in Utah, water is so critical, more than just to irrigators but for its recreational benefits and other reasons. The state has recognized the need to rehabilitate these projects and keep that infrastructure in service to protect them as the commodities they are," said Everett Taylor, assistant Utah state engineer over dam safety and stream alteration.

On average, Taylor said the state inspects about 300 dams a year, including those deemed high hazard. There are 223 with that classification in Utah. Read more.


UDOT Moves Forward with Canyon Gondola Plan

Date: July 19, 2023

The Utah Department of Transportation has made it official — it wants to build an eight-mile-long gondola through Little Cottonwood Canyon.

UDOT's final record of decision means the department can officially move forward with the gondola plan, a decision years in the making. Building the gondola would likely take years, if not decades, to complete, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

The agency released a preliminary plan last August identifying the gondola as the best solution to fix the canyon's longstanding traffic issues, as winter sports enthusiasts regularly see long lines to enter the Alta and Snowbird resorts, along with the canyon's backcountry. Congestion can often spill into the summer months, too, as popular trailheads see lines of cars parked along the shoulders of the canyon's road.

The decision in August prompted thousands of public comments, which UDOT reviewed before releasing the finalized decision. According to UDOT records, the agency is taking a phased approach to the canyon's transportation. As early as this summer, the department will get the ball rolling on buying more buses, designing mobility hubs and make plans for tolling in the canyon. The latest tolling estimates could be around $20 to $30, with the hopes of reducing traffic and encouraging carpooling. UDOT wants these updates done by the fall of 2025. Read more.


Utah State University Partners with Engineering Program in Taiwan

Date: July 19, 2023

Utah State University has signed another agreement with National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan — this time with the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, according to a news release.

The agreement is identical to the one signed with NCHU's College of Engineering in that it will allow doctoral students to earn a PhD at both institutions. Research and collaboration among students and faculty at both universities will now be streamlined through this agreement.

The College of EECS at NCHU was officially established on August 1, 2018, after the number of electrical engineering graduates skyrocketed. Over a quarter of degrees earned in Taiwan are in electrical engineering. EECS also includes 54 full-time faculty members and two adjunct faculty members, all of which specialize in electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science.

"Uniting with the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at NCHU is an honor and a great benefit for research and the PhD program at both institutions," said Rose Hu, engineering associate dean for research at USU. "I look forward to seeing what our talented faculty and students can accomplish." Read more.


NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.

NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.

Featured Job
Manager of Project Development
Salt Lake City, UT


Utah Electrification Steering Committee Discusses State's Electric Transportation Future

Date: June 22, 2023

The Utah Department of Transportation said the state's Electrification of Transportation Infrastructure Steering Committee took its first steps toward an electric future earlier this month, Transportation Today reports.

According to the UDOT, the committee met for the first time on June 1, after the Utah State Legislature passed a bill creating the committee. The committee will guide the state infrastructure toward a sustainable and economical electric future.

"We're at a tipping point for electrification of transportation,” said UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras, the committee's chairman. "Our mission here is to help Utahns live healthier lives by improving air quality while strengthening the economy."

The legislature also approved $2.1 million in funding for Utah State University's Center for Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE). Created in 2020, the ASPIRE Engineering Research Center's goal is to accelerate the creation of electrified corridors for the nation's infrastructure. The center is also funded through a $25 million National Science Foundation grant that is renewable to $50 million over 10 years. Read more.


Utah Office of Energy Development Receives Blistering Audit

Date: June 22, 2023

The Utah Office of Energy Development lacks defined goals and internal governance and should be doing more to implement state energy policy, according to a blistering audit released from the Utah Legislative Auditor General, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

The energy office, which has had five directors and seven mission statements in its 12 years of existence, is not providing sufficient guidance in a crucial period of transition for the electric power industry, auditors said.

"Despite great uncertainty within the industry, we found the state's planning for the energy future by the Office of Energy Development (OED) to be limited," auditors said in their report delivered to the Utah Legislative Audit Committee. Auditors recommended a top-to-bottom overhaul of the office, including updated job descriptions and "standard operating procedures," to become more data-driven and future-focused.

In their response, Natural Resources Department Director Joel Ferry and OED Director Greg Todd essentially said the overhaul is already underway. Read more.


New Resilient Energy Engineering Certification Program

Date: June 22, 2023

The Energy & Geoscience Institute, at the University of Utah will offer the Resilient Energy Engineering Program in collaboration with the Utah Energy and Power Innovation Center, the Intermountain Industrial Assessment Center, and the College of Engineering.

The Resilient Energy Engineering program is designed to offer relevant training to energy industry professionals and interested students (undergrad and graduate) from all of the colleges across campus, according to a news release. A graduate certificate application is being prepared and once approved, students will be awarded a certificate upon successful completion of the five courses.

"Resilient" Energy Engineering goes beyond "sustainability" to provide knowledge and tools for both professionals and students in adapting to disruptive technologies, regulations, and events and societal issues such as economics, disruptions, and information accuracy. The five-course program includes technical elements of carbon science, transitional geoscience, alternative energy, energy management, and societal impacts of energy use on economics, entrepreneurship, and policy.

The courses will be offered starting the fall semester 2023 and the spring semester 2024 at the undergraduate and graduate levels at regular tuition rates. Once the online modules are ready, students from the energy industry will be able to take these courses for micro-credentials through University Connected Learning for approximately $3,000 per course. Learn more.


NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.

NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.

Featured Jobs
Transportation Director
Park City, UT

Manager of Project Development
Salt Lake City, UT


Get Ready - NSPE-UT 2023 Annual Continuing Education Conference

Date: May 19, 2023

The Utah Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE-UT), in partnership with the University of Utah Engineering Alumni Association and the Utah Department of Occupational and Professional Licensing, will hold a full-day 2023 Continuing Education Conference on Saturday, May 20, at the University of Utah Warnock Engineering Building. 

This conference is free to all licensed PEs and is a great opportunity for all Utah PEs to learn and earn continuing education hours toward license renewal. A virtual broadcast will be offered again this year so the conference can reach those not able to attend the in-person event. Lunch will be available for a small fee (NSPE members and presenters eat free).

The conference schedule and registration information are available on the conference website.

Registration closed on May 15. You may still attend the conference in person as a walk-in or request the virtual link by email: uspe.board@gmail.com. We will have a limited number of lunches available for walk-ins to purchase.


UDOT Announces Multi-Million Dollar Construction Projects

Date: May 19, 2023

The Utah Department of Transportation has announced several major multi-million dollar highway projects happening for the rest of the year, with the most expensive project being the construction of West Davis Highway valued at $750 million, according to an abc4.com report.

Officials say UDOT currently has 217 projects either slated for 2023 or already under construction. The combined value of these projects amounts to about $3.2 billion.

"This is one of our biggest construction years, with major projects happening all across the state," said Lisa Wilson, UDOT deputy director for engineering and operations. "We are working to help people in all parts of Utah stay connected to the things they care about: family, school, work, and recreation." Read more.


Utah Receiving $60 Million to Replace 20 Passenger Railcars

Date: May 19, 2023

Utah is getting money from the federal government to improve its rail services. The Utah Transit Authority is set to receive $60 million from the federal government to purchase 20 new light rail vehicles. These new vehicles will replace older railcars that are currently in use, The Center Square reports.

The United States Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration recently announced the new funding. It was one of six transit systems across the country to receive grant funding from the department to replace aging passenger railcars. The funding came from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed into law in 2021 by President Biden. Read more.


NSPE Career Center

NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.

NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.

Featured Job
Energy Services Director
St. George, UT


Registration Open: NSPE-UT 2023 Annual Continuing Education Conference

Date: April 20, 2023

The Utah Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE-UT), in partnership with the University of Utah Engineering Alumni Association and the Utah Department of Occupational and Professional Licensing, will hold a full-day 2023 Continuing Education Conference on Saturday, May 20, at the University of Utah Warnock Engineering Building.

This conference is free to all licensed PEs and is a great opportunity for all Utah PEs to learn and earn continuing education hours toward license renewal. A virtual broadcast will be offered again this year so the conference can reach those not able to attend the in-person event. Lunch will be available for a small fee (NSPE members and presenters eat free).

The conference schedule and registration information are available on the conference website. The RSVP deadline is Monday, May 15.


Rocky Mountain Power Moves to Renewables and Nuclear

Date: April 20, 2023

Rocky Mountain Power says it will shut down its coal-fired power plants in Emery County by 2032 and replace them with smaller nuclear-powered plants in the same locations, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

The utility company also announced it will reduce operations at the two coal plants starting this summer and install technology to remove some of the pollutants. With that combination, the company believes it can comply with the federal Ozone Transfer rule in the remaining years the plants stay open.

PacifiCorp, the Oregon-based parent company of Rocky Mountain, released its Integrated Resource Plan, which explains where the company intends to get power across its six-state system for the next 20 years, and that plan puts a period at the end of coal power in Utah.

That end comes years before the original closure dates for the Huntington (2036) and Hunter (2042) plants. The other two utility-scale coal plants still operating in Utah — the Intermountain Power Plant near Delta and the Bonanza Power Plant near Vernal — are also expected to stop burning coal before 2030. Read more.


USU Receives $2.5 Million to Launch Earthquake Engineering Research Center

Date: April 20, 2023

A new research center at Utah State University will help bridge the gap between what we know about the devastating effects of earthquakes and how to better design our infrastructure to withstand them.

The Utah Earthquake Engineering Center will serve all of Utah as a training and research hub focused on developing Utah-specific seismic safety solutions. The goal of the new center is to better prepare the state for a quicker and more resilient recovery following a major tremor, Utah State Today reports.

"Utah is long overdue for a damaging earthquake," said Brady Cox, professor of civil engineering at USU and a leading earthquake expert. "As we continue to grow in population and build homes, roads, bridges, buildings and utilities, we need to make sure our infrastructure is designed and constructed to withstand earthquakes with the overarching goal of minimizing deaths, dollars and downtime."

Cox says Utah has more than 175,000 unreinforced masonry buildings, a primary cause of earthquake-related deaths. One of the first tasks of the center will be to develop retrofit solutions for such buildings and other worrisome infrastructure. Read more.


Career Center

NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.

NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.

Featured Job
Strategic Planner III or II
Salt Lake City, UT


Utah Counties to Issue $2 Billion in Bonds to Support Oil Railroad

Date: March 15, 2023

A group of Utah counties is poised to issue $2 billion in tax-exempt bonds to finance the construction of an 85-mile oil-hauling rail spur out of the Uinta Basin, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

According to a public notice posted last month, the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition intends to issue instruments called "private activity conduit bonds," which would serve as a loan to Drexel Hamilton Infrastructure Partners, L.P., the coalition's partner that would own the Uinta Basin Railway.

The notice indicates the project's cost estimates have soared to $2.9 billion, a doubling over previous estimates of $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion. The railroad would be privately owned and operated, but it is still eligible for tax-free borrowing if a public entity sponsors the bond issue, according to the coalition's general counsel Eric Johnson. Read more.


Vital Aqueducts in Utah Get a $50 Million Boost

Date: March 15, 2023

The Great Salt Lake dominated attention during the 2023 legislative session, but lawmakers also spent money on vital water projects in Utah, including dollars to help fix aging aqueducts, water reuse, cloud seeding and more.

The expenditures are all part of a way to keep the system running, much like periodic maintenance checks on a vehicle that correct a problem before it balloons into a disaster, Deseret News reports.

Four aging aqueduct systems that serve over 2 million people on the Wasatch Front will receive $50 million for upgrades or replacements to incorporate earthquake resilience.

"We met with a whole bunch of stakeholders about earthquake resilience," said Ari Bruening, president and chief executive officer of Envision Utah. "There are a lot of things that we could do — everything from transportation to natural gas and power and upgrading buildings. But what rose to the top was water because it is such a critical need. And what rose to the top of that was these aqueducts, because without these aqueducts, most of the water that serves the Wasatch Front would not be available for many, many, many months." Read more.


The NASA Economic Impact on Utah

Date: March 15, 2023

NASA has a unique mission that provides benefits in big and small ways as funding spent for space exploration create jobs, jumpstarts businesses, and grows the economy. NASA's economic impact is nationwide, but how does Utah benefit?

There are seven NASA Federal jobs and 3,220 contractors in the state of Utah. For every NASA federal job located in Utah, an additional 738.3 jobs are supported in the state economy. For every million dollars' worth of economic output generated by NASA federal jobs, an additional $279.4 million worth of output is sustained throughout the state economy. Read more.

NSPE-UT Member Named Top FEYA Finalist

Date: February 14, 2023

Chad C. Hogan, P.E., was named a top 10 finalist for NSPE's Federal Engineer of the Year Award. He serves as a lead engineer for the US Department of the Air Force, Air Force Material Command.

Hogan

Hogan and the other finalists will be recognized during a ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on February 24.

The Federal Engineer of the Year Award honors engineers employed by a federal agency that employs at least 50 engineers worldwide. These nominees have made extensive contributions to their organizations and also to the public that PEs ultimately serve.


Universities, State Agencies Team Up to Offer Solutions for Great Salt Lake

Date: February 14, 2023

Declining water levels of Great Salt Lake threaten economic activity, local public health, and ecosystems. In response to this emergent statewide challenge, Utah's research universities formed the Great Salt Lake Strike Team, a collaboration of experts in public policy, hydrology, water management, climatology, and dust. The team has released a Great Salt Lake Policy Assessment that affirms the situation is urgent, but also identifies a variety of policy levers that can return the lake to healthy levels, Utah State Today reports.

"Our findings are both stark and hopeful," said co-chairs Brian Steed, executive director of the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air at Utah State University and Bill Anderegg, director of the Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy at the University of Utah. "We firmly believe Great Salt Lake can be saved, but it will require state leadership, research university technical expertise, and individual and collective action."

"Connecting policymakers with research institutions helps tap into a wealth of knowledge and leverage work that is already underway," said Joel Ferry, executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. "We appreciate the collaboration that has helped shape this report as we work together to protect and preserve the lake."

The Great Salt Lake Policy Assessment includes a data repository, research on trends and target elevations, and one-page summaries of policy options. Strike Team members agree Utah faces an economic, health, and environmental imperative to act. Read more.


Roundtable: Building, Construction & Design

Date: February 14, 2023

The latest issue of Utah Business magazine features a roundtable discussion of Utah's building, construction and design leaders. The group discussed supply chain problems, labor shortages, and the need for more CTE education in Utah. Access the issue here.

Salt Lake City Mulls Changes to EV Infrastructure Policy

Date: January 20, 2023

Utah's capital city is preparing for massive fuel infrastructure changes as more drivers turn to electric vehicles. Members of the Salt Lake City Council were briefed on a proposed ordinance that would require developers of new apartment and condominium construction projects to make at least 20% of newly designated parking stalls electric vehicle-ready, according to a Deseret News report.

"This is a policy proposal that we, in the Department of Sustainability, are particularly excited about as it will help us achieve several sustainability goals, including improving air quality and reducing future greenhouse gas emissions — and doing so in a way that enables accessibility to these solutions for more of our residents," said Peter Nelson, the manager of the city's sustainable business program within the Salt Lake City Department of Sustainability. Read more.


University of Utah Engineering Receives $50 Million Donation

Date: January 20, 2023

Utah philanthropists John and Marcia Price put the University of Utah's College of Engineering in the driver's seat Tuesday with a $50 million donation that will fuel scholarships and a new building, according to a The Salt Lake Tribune report.

The Utah businessman and his wife had earlier committed $15 million from the Price Family Foundation toward construction of a new building for its nationally recognized computer science school. That later grew to be the largest donation the engineering school has ever received, and one of the largest ever on the university campus. Read more.

Year One of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Date: December 21, 2022

The Biden Administration recently updated state and territory fact sheets that highlight the nationwide impact of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the largest long-term investment infrastructure and competitiveness in nearly a century. To date, $1.7 billion in funding has been announced and is headed to Utah with over 90 specific projects identified for funding. Access information about Utah projects here.


Utah Engineering Program Launches Partnership with US Air Force

Date: December 21, 2022

The University of Utah College of Engineering and the United States Air Force have entered into a new education partnership that will create opportunities for students and research projects that can advance technologies from wireless communications and cybersecurity to robotics and composite materials. A signing ceremony celebrating the agreement was held in November at the Catmull Gallery of the Warnock Engineering Building on the University of Utah campus.

This education partnership allows university faculty and students to work more closely with Air Force researchers on a wide range of topics that could include data analytics, machine learning for materials discovery, prosthetics, nuclear engineering, additive manufacturing and more. Air Force personnel will also work with the university on developing new educational programs and will make laboratory personnel available to teach courses.

Meanwhile, university researchers will get access to otherwise unavailable resources from the Air Force such as state-of-the-art equipment, facilities, and expert knowledge. The agreement also provides opportunities for Air Force personnel to pursue certificates and master's degrees through online programs offered by the university, such as the Online Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Read more.


Career Center

NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.

NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.

Featured Jobs
Public Improvements Engineer
Park City, UT

Transportation Design Lead Engineer
Lehi, UT


Utah's Largest Solar Project Comes to Coal Country

Date: November 17, 2022

A Utah company has announced an agreement with PacifiCorp to build the state's largest solar farm and battery storage facility in the heart of Utah's coal country, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

rPlus Energies and Rocky Mountain Power parent PacifiCorp signed an agreement for PacifiCorp to purchase the power generated by a 400-megawatt solar farm and associated 200-megawatt battery storage facility. The $750 million "Green River Energy Center" will occupy about 3,200 acres of private property north of the small Emery County town of Moore.

Emery County offers two advantages: sunshine and transmission lines. The transmission lines are there because PacifiCorp's Hunter and Huntington coal-fired power plants are the single biggest sources of electricity for Utahns.

The addition of battery storage addresses the limiting factor on solar energy: it stops producing when the sun goes down. "To me, what it [battery storage] does is it makes solar more valuable," said Emery County Commissioner Kent Wilson, who noted there is so much solar power in the Western US now that "you can't give it away" in the middle of the day. Read more.


Proclamation Closes Great Salt Lake Basin to New Water Right Appropriations

Date: November 17, 2022

With Utah's Great Salt Lake reaching new record lows, Governor Spencer Cox has issued a proclamation suspending new water appropriations within the Great Salt Lake Basin.

"Extreme drought, climate change, and increased demand continue to threaten the Great Salt Lake," Governor Cox stated in a news release. "We are united in our efforts to protect this critical resource and are taking action to ensure existing flows continue to benefit the lake. When conditions improve, the suspension can be lifted."

The suspension allows for existing water rights and applications to be used and developed while promoting more efficient use of the existing supply. The suspension pauses further appropriations of surface water and groundwater that are tributary to Great Salt Lake. It also provides an opportunity for some of the conservation measures proposed during the 2022 legislative session to be implemented while allowing time for additional research to be completed.

A declining Great Salt Lake has far-reaching consequences and could result in increased dust, worsening air quality, reduced snow, diminished lake access, increased salinity, habitat loss, and negative economic repercussions to the state. Read more.


Interior Department Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Central Utah Project Completion Act

Date: November 17, 2022

The Department of the Interior recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Central Utah Project Completion Act (CUPCA), Utah's largest and most comprehensive federal water resource development project. Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo joined local, state, and federal partners to celebrate progress in completing the Central Utah Project and related mitigation actions, and to outline the work ahead as the West battles ongoing drought conditions, according to a news release.

The event also highlighted how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $50 million in funding to accelerate the completion of the Utah Lake System pipeline construction. These new funds will expedite delivery of 60,000 acre-feet of municipal and industrial water to Salt Lake and Utah Counties and provide increased water security, helping communities adapt to and increase their resiliency under changing climate conditions. The law also helps fund the Provo River Delta Restoration Project, which is a key component of the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program.

The Central Utah Project moves water from the Colorado River Basin in eastern Utah to the western slopes of the Wasatch Mountain range, where the state has seen a rapid growth in population. It provides water for municipal and industrial use, irrigation, hydroelectric power, fish and wildlife, conservation, and recreation. Read more.


NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.

NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.

Featured Jobs
Engineer II – IV
Provo, UT

Senior Product Engineer
Springville, UT


Utah Inland Port Authority Pauses Major Capital Projects

Date: October 19, 2022

The Utah Inland Port Authority is taking a timeout as problems related to its future begin to build. The port authority is already experiencing a shift in leadership and dealing with a state audit that questions its ongoing planning, according to a KSL.com report. Now, a report from logistics expert is tacking onto the concerns, raising doubts about the inland port's value to the state.

With a lot at stake, Ben Hart, the port authority's newly hired director, says the agency and its board of directors have decided to pause "all major capital projects" until they are able to craft a Northwest Quadrant Master Development Plan.

"If our planning efforts determine a transload facility is right for this market, there will be robust engagement with neighborhoods on the west side of Salt Lake County and the business community," Hart said, in a statement to KSL. "A project of that size would also require a board resolution passed in a public meeting. Until then, we're talking with all our stakeholders to ensure this master plan reflects what best suits Utah and its logistics needs." Read more.


State Licensing Board Meeting

Date: October 19, 2022

The Utah Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors Board will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, November 16, at 9:00 a.m.
Access more information here.


Engineering and Computer Science Workforce Booming in Utah

Date: October 19, 2022

In 2020, Utah's engineering and computer science workforce generated 238,400 full- and part-time jobs, $19.1 billion in earnings, and $25.2 billion in gross domestic product (GDP), representing 12-15% of Utah's $200 billion economy. This is according to the latest report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, which details how in every major industry, and in communities statewide, engineering and computer science professionals contribute to meaningful innovation, research, and entrepreneurship, according to a news release.

"The emphasis placed on engineering and computer science education by state leaders in the early 2000's has created enormous benefits for the Utah economy," said Levi Pace, lead author of the report and senior research economist at the institute. "Engineers, tech workers, and professionals in related occupations are taking increasingly active roles in the economy and society. In addition to these broader economic and societal benefits, the data show favorable returns on education investments in terms of personal income, both short- and long-term."

The report also details student outcomes and research activity in engineering and computer science programs in Utah's colleges and universities, which receive significant funding for their research. In fiscal year 2021, the University of Utah, Utah State University, and Brigham Young University together accounted for $175.7 million of the $183 million of engineering and computer science research awards to the eight universities and colleges. The state's flagship, the University of Utah, received grants and contracts worth $105 million for engineering and $26.5 million for computer science, approximately three fourths of the total research funding. Read more.


New Utah Center Brings Research Power to the Energy Transition

Date: October 19, 2022

The University of Utah has launched the Utah Energy & Power Innovation Center (U-EPIC) with a mission to "innovate the future of equitable, sustainable and resilient power and energy infrastructure," according to a news release. The interdisciplinary research center features a team that includes engineers, social scientists, climate scientists, and computer scientists.

Ensuring clean, equitable and affordable energy is one of the biggest challenges of our time, says Masood Parvania, associate professor of electrical & computer engineering and director of U-EPIC. "We are given an unprecedented once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the transition of energy industry to utilize clean, sustainable, and distributed sources of energy, while ensuring that the benefits of this transition, including air quality, economic development, employment opportunity, and access to clean energy are equitably distributed within the society," he says. "Nobody and no community should be left behind in this transition."

Achieving these goals requires interdisciplinary research, such as improving the resilience of energy infrastructure in the face of more frequent wildfires and hurricanes. U-EPIC researchers are focusing on four research topics: climate change-resilient power and critical infrastructure; cyber security of critical infrastructure systems; grid integration of energy storage and distributed energy resources; and interdependent critical infrastructure. Read more.


Career Center

NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.

NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.

Featured Job
Transportation Engineer
West Jordan, UT

Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.

Interior Department Invests Over $5.5 Million for Wildfire Resilience in Utah

Date: September 23, 2022

The Department of the Interior announced that it has invested over $5.5 million in fiscal year 2022 funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to advance wildfire resilience work and support fuels management projects in Utah on 24,490 acres of land across the state.

This is part of $103 million allocated by the department earlier this year to reduce wildfire risk, mitigate impacts and rehabilitate burned areas, according to a news release. The additional funding will help complete fuels treatments on nearly 2 million acres nationwide this fiscal year, a substantial increase over the prior year.

"As climate change drives harsher heat waves, more volatile weather, and record drought conditions, we are seeing wildfire seasons turn to wildfire years, threatening communities, businesses, wildlife and the environment," said Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau. "Through President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are investing in Utah communities, advancing wildfire resilience work across the country, improving resources for the heroic firefighting workforce, and reducing the risk of wildfire." Read more.


Salt Lake, Boise Leaders Consider Restoring Passenger Rail Line

Date: September 23, 2022

Salt Lake City and Boise leaders are currently working on a plan to restore a large portion of an old passenger rail line, providing new service from Salt Lake City to an area just northwest of Boise in the near future, ksltv.com reports.

The two cities submitted a statement of interest to the Federal Railroad Administration earlier this month, according to Bre Brush, the transportation advisor for the Boise Mayor's Office, in a presentation to the Boise City Council. But there are plenty of stops along the way before the idea comes to fruition.

“This is still very preliminary," Salt Lake City transportation director Jon Larsen stated. "It's exciting to be having these sorts of conversations and it's exciting that … people are interested in knowing about these conversations, but we still have a long way to go before we're running passenger rail between Salt Lake and Boise." Read more.


USU Extension 4-H Sparks STEM Education Among Rural Youth

Date: September 23, 2022

Young people in rural areas often do not have the same access to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education as youth in suburban areas of the country, according to the Hechinger Report, a national educational newsroom.

With a population of around 7,000, Kane County, Utah, is undoubtedly rural, but the USU Extension 4-H youth development program has established a thriving STEM program, Utah State Today reports. With only 1,300 students in grades K-12 and where all the elementary schools receive financial assistance as Title 1 schools, 80% of students in the district participate in computer science and coding education before they reach middle school. The 4-H program, in partnership with the Kane County School District, has accomplished this significant level of STEM education engagement in just six years.

Elizabeth Davis, extension professor over 4-H in Kane County, and Angie Reidhead, 4-H program coordinator, work together for the program's success. Their goal is to engage the future workforce early in life and provide opportunities for students to develop the necessary skills, including computer science and leadership, to prepare for the evolving work environment. Read more.

Utah Commission Adopts a More Energy-Efficient Building Code

Date: August 17, 2022

Utah is required to update its residential building code every six years. The public hearing hosted by the Utah Uniform Building Code Commission revolved around the adoption of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code recommendations for new commercial and residential buildings, KUER 90.1 reports.

IECC's big suggestions include installing more ceiling and wall insulation in new construction, strategically placing windows and doors in areas that retain heat and updating HVAC and duct systems to maximize energy savings.

The commission made amendments to the recommendations, including reducing the amount of insulation proposed and maintaining the same testing regulations for duct systems. It also opted not to test mechanical ventilation systems in new homes.

The commission approved their amended version of the code and sent it off to the Utah Legislature's Business and Labor Interim Committee for approval. If approved, lawmakers will vote on the code during the 2023 legislative session. Read more.


What is the Plan for Utah Lake?

Date: August 17, 2022

A gravel path stretches out south from the Lindon Marina, tracing a wobbly line along the eastern shore of Utah Lake. Calm waters reflect the saw-toothed silhouettes of the Wasatch Range, framed by rust-colored reeds and the feeling that — even though you are very much in the middle of a valley filled with ribbons of highways, dense housing and hundreds of thousands of people — you're among nature.

In the coming decades, this serene place could be disrupted by the din of one of the largest development projects in Utah history, according to a Deseret News article. If Lake Restorations Solutions, a Utah-based business, has its way, 60 dredgers could soon be digging into the lake, scooping up enough mud to fill 300,000 Olympic swimming pools. According to an application received by the US Army Corps of Engineers earlier this year, this lakebed mud would then be chiseled into artificial islands, which would cover one-fifth of Utah Lake's surface. A sprawling subdivision connected by roadways and bridges would rise as hundreds of thousands of people move into newly built homes. Read more.


Utah Eligible for Over $5M for Mining Land Reclamation

Date: August 17, 2022

The Department of the Interior announced that Utah is eligible to receive over $5 million in funding for projects dedicated to reclaiming abandoned mine lands, the Standard-Examiner reports.

The $5,769,000 comes from nearly $725 million made available to 22 states and the Navajo Nation by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with the intent of creating more economic opportunities in coal communities across the nation.

"Through this program, we are investing in coal communities through job creation — including for current and former coal workers — and economic revitalization, all while addressing harmful environmental impacts from these legacy developments," Secretary Deb Haaland said in a press release. "We encourage all eligible states and Tribes to apply for this funding so we can reduce hazardous pollution and toxic water levels that continue to impact our communities."

Abandoned mine land reclamation projects include closing potentially dangerous mine shafts, reclaiming unstable slopes, preventing releases of harmful gases, treating acid mine drainage and restoring water supplies damaged by mining. Read more.


NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.

NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.

Featured Job
Site Development Project Manager/Team Leader
Salt Lake City, UT

Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.

UDOT Seeks Input on Rural Transportation Planning

Date: July 20, 2022

The Utah Department of Transportation wants the public's input to contribute ideas on how to address transportation needs as part of the state's Long-Range Rural Transportation Plan for rural areas throughout Utah.

This planning process is an opportunity to shape decisions regarding Utah's rural transportation system needs for the next 25 to 30 years, according to a news release. UDOT has been meeting with rural communities, counties, and other agencies to discuss future needs along the state highway system. A variety of rural state roads in need of transportation improvements have been identified, and the department is asking the public to share their ideas on how to help improve Utah's roadway network. Some ideas may include adding travel or passing lanes, improving intersections, adding bike lanes or sidewalks, providing transit service, increasing signage, extending paved trails, and more.

The public is encouraged to visit the project website to share comments in the following ways:

  • Provide ideas on the comment map. The map details state roads that are in need of transportation improvements and the planning team is interested in specific ideas of how to solve these needs.
  • Respond to a quick survey about the planning goals.
  • The public may also email the project team (planning@utah.gov) or call the project hotline (385-360-1900).

Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Save Utah's Great Salt Lake

Date: July 20, 2022

US Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) recently introduced the Great Salt Lake Recovery Act, legislation to study historic drought conditions and protect the long-term health of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Earlier this month, the lake dropped to its lowest level on record for the second time in a year, posing a threat to the state's environment and economy, according to a news release.

This legislation builds on conservation actions taken by the Utah legislature in the 2022 legislative session, including the designation of $40 million for the Great Salt Lake watershed enhancement program. Representatives Chris Stewart (R-UT) and Burgess Owens (R-UT) introduced companion legislation in the US House.

The legislation seeks to build on Utah's efforts to address the historic drought conditions of the Great Salt Lake and other saline lakes in the Great Basin by doing the following:

  • Authorizing the US Army Corps of Engineers to carry out a program to monitor and assess the water availability and conditions of saline lakes in the Great Basin, including the Great Salt Lake, in order to help inform management and conservation activities for these ecosystems. The Corps will coordinate with relevant federal and state agencies, tribes, local governments, and nonprofits to implement the program. The bill authorizes $10,000,000 for this program.
  • Authorizing a feasibility study on addressing drought conditions in the Great Salt Lake, which may include an identification of any potential technologies—including pipelines, coastal desalination plants, and canal reinforcement—capable of redirecting water sources and necessary permitting to redirect water sources across state borders.

Utah Has Plans for Electrifying Its Scenic Highways

Date: July 20, 2022

Travis Van Orden has watched the trickle become a stream. The owner of the Broken Spur Inn and Steakhouse in the southern Utah tourist town of Torrey was one of the early adopters of Tesla’s nationwide electric vehicle charging network six years ago, according to a The Salt Lake Tribune article.

The process took a year before Tesla approved his application and installed the chargers at his hotel. And it worked well during the early years. "It was one car a week, or two cars," Van Orden said. "Now it's three or four or five cars fighting over my three chargers."

The same upward trend is happening at other hot spots. Growing numbers of tourists need more than the charge that Utah's stunning beauty provides.

In 2020, Utah legislators passed HB259, which directed the Utah Department of Transportation to plan a statewide electric vehicle charging network that would be funded under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. Federal funding requires charging stations at least every 50 miles, although there is a mechanism for exceptions.

Utah's main freeways (Interstates 15 and 80) are in good shape, but the next step down—particularly the major tourism routes—are thin. UDOT says the state needs about 42 more charging stations on highways, including those connecting Utah's national parks and other tourist destinations. Read more.

NSPE-UT Continuing Education Conference Success

Date: June 16, 2022

NSPE-UT was happy again to hold our annual Continuing Education Conference for Utah PEs in May. The free event was able to reach almost 160 attendees, counting both in-person and virtual attendees, which is an increase of about 50% over our last in-person event in 2019. The hybrid format allowed many PEs to attend in areas not local to the Wasatch Front.

A big thank you to our sponsors and partner—the University of Utah College of Engineering, GoEngineer, the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing, and especially to our presenters, who shared timely and helpful knowledge and information on a range of topics of interest to engineers.


DOE Confirms $504 Million Loan for Utah Hydrogen Energy Storage Hub

Date: June 16, 2022

The Advanced Clean Energy Storage Project, claimed as the largest green hydrogen storage hub planned globally, will get $504.4 million loan funding from the US Department of Energy (DOE), according to an Energy Storage News report.

The DOE's Loan Programs Office said that it has closed on the half-billion-dollar loan guarantee for the planned facility in Utah, which will combine 220MW of alkali electrolysers with storage capacity in vast salt caverns with 4.5-million-barrel capacity.

The Loan Programs Office, which reopened in the early weeks of President Joe Biden's term with solar industry veteran Jigar Shah at the helm, offered the loan in late April this year, after inviting the project's co-development partners Mitsubishi Power Americas and Magnum Development to apply, just under a year before that in May 2021.

While the initial invite had said up to $595 million could be on the table, it appears the figure settled on is nearly a hundred million dollars less for the very long-duration – or seasonal – energy storage plant.

Project information from Mitsubishi Power Americas said the hub would take excess renewable energy from sources including wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric. Read more.


Utah Women in STEM Careers Slowly Increasing

Date: June 16, 2022

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Utah ranked in the top 10 states for tech job growth, net tech employment concentration, and net tech employment gains in 2020. In addition, Salt Lake City is ranked as the second-best city in the country for professional opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math.

Yet despite the statewide opportunities, Salt Lake was ranked only 43rd among other metro areas for "STEM-friendliness," a metric that considers the gender disparity in STEM field occupations and degrees, according to a Utah State Today article. Nationally and locally, fewer women obtain STEM-related college degrees and work in STEM-related professions, and once employed they leave these careers at disproportionate rates compared to men, leaving that portion of the workforce predominately male.

The Utah Women & Leadership Project released a research paper in 2016 on Utah Women and STEM. A new 2022 report updates and compares data on three areas featured in the earlier report: current STEM employment data, possible reasons for the STEM gender gap, and ongoing efforts to increase diverse participation and success in STEM fields. Read more.


Program Demonstrates Alternative Vehicle Use in Southern Utah

Date: June 16, 2022

Alternatives to fuel-driven vehicles may soon be on the road as Washington County and five counties in Southern Utah explore the Drive Clean Rural USA program opportunities, according to a St George News report.

The program is funded in part by the Department of Energy Vehicles Technology program. Utah is one of eight states chosen for the project, which involves county government and private fleet partners. The groups will receive free assistance from Utah Clean Cities once they commit to the program. The three-phase project will run through June 2024.

"The pilot project goes into rural communities to work with them to build out an advanced alternative transportation plan with the alternative fuels in Utah: propane, electric, natural gas, and possibly hydrogen," Tammie Bostick, Utah Clean Cities Coalition executive director, said.

According to the Utah Clean Cities website, the program assists local governments and organizations save money by transitioning vehicle fleets to clean fuels and advanced vehicle technologies. Large cities nationwide have many businesses, hospitals, schools, and local governments that have started the process. Read more.

Utah Water Projects Awarded $70 Million to Fix Aging System Issues

Date: May 18, 2022

The US Department of the Interior announced an additional $240 million in funding will go to aging water infrastructure in the West, including four projects in Utah, KUER reports.

This money comes from the bipartisan infrastructure bill President Joe Biden signed last November. The Bureau of Reclamation approved 46 projects across 11 states, and now applicants can decide if they want to accept the funding or not. The Utah projects were awarded around $70 million. Read more.


Governor Releases New State Energy Plan

Date: May 18, 2022

Governor Spencer J. Cox and the Utah Office of Energy Development (OED) released a new State Energy and Innovation Plan. Identifying six key commitments, the plan will serve as a guidepost for energy development in Utah, according to a news release. The plan lives on the OED’s website as an interactive story map.

“At the beginning of my administration, I released the One Utah Roadmap and directed the Utah Office of Energy Development to update the statewide energy plan,” said Governor Cox. “State code requires state energy policy to have adequate, reliable, affordable, sustainable, and clean energy resources and that’s precisely what this plan does. It’s crucial that we ensure Utah’s energy future is secure, innovative, and reliable in order to maintain our high quality of life and robust economy.”


Utah Signs New Wildfires Agreement

Date: May 18, 2022

Governor Cox and US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack signed a renewed Shared Stewardship agreement that reaffirms a mutual commitment to build relationships and coalitions needed to confront the wildfire crisis throughout the state of Utah, according to a news release.

Utah, the Forest Service, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have substantially increased fuel reduction and forest health treatments in places where wildfire presents an immediate risk to communities and critical water resource since the signing of the original agreement in 2019. Over four years, partners successfully treated more than 54,000 acres, funding 31 projects with more than $20 million in state, federal, and partner funds.

Shared Stewardship is about jointly identifying priorities and combining resources to achieve cross-boundary outcomes using every available authority and tool to improve forest health. It encouraged the longstanding culture of cooperation between the state, Forest Service, and NRCS in addition to capitalizing on the shared belief that no singular agency can address the threat of the wildfire crisis.

Registration Open: NSPE-UT Continuing Education Conference

Date: April 20, 2022

Register now to earn continuing education hours toward licensure renewal by attending the upcoming NSPE-UT Continuing Education Conference on Saturday, May 14, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The conference will be held at the University of Utah Warnock Engineering Building in Salt Lake City.

This conference promises a great lineup of presenters and topics for those attending in-person and for the first time, it will also be broadcast virtually to registered attendees statewide. Attendance is free to all Utah PEs, including non-NSPE members. Access the agenda and register online.


New Laws Address Extreme Water Shortages

Date: April 20, 2022

As the state faces unprecedented drought, Governor Spencer Cox has signed into law a dozen measures that will help address water shortages. Nearly $450 million has been earmarked for water-related infrastructure, the Deseret News reports.

Some bills passed with help from other lawmakers, with the governor noting that the cooperation among legislators was unprecedented. One measure sponsored by Representative Val Iverson provides $250 million in grants for the metering of secondary water.

Cox recently declared a state of emergency in Utah; 99% of the state is in severe drought and 28 of Utah's largest 45 reservoirs are below 55% of available capacity.


Salt Lake City Could Get First "Innovation District"

Date: April 20, 2022

Thanks to a joint effort between the University of Utah and the Salt Lake Redevelopment Agency (RDA), the vision for Salt Lake City's Station Center Project is moving forward. This project aims to transform the heart of the Depot District into a hub of innovation, allowing a wide range of residents and businesses to live, work, and contribute ideas necessary for an "innovation district" to thrive, according to a Utah Business report.

With a focus on life sciences and community health, the new innovation district will build on the momentum from Mayor Erin Mendenhall's Tech Lake City initiative in order to bring both sides of the city together thanks to the project's location between 500 and 600 West and 200 and 400 South.

"We see [the project] as an opportunity to bridge the divide between the amazing research and commercialization work happening on the hill at the U and our west side communities," says Cara Lindsley, deputy director of the RDA. "Innovation and tech aren't always the most inclusive industries, but if we're intentional about making sure that all Salt Lake City residents benefit from the Station Center Innovation District, with educational and workforce development opportunities, real progress can be made."

May Continuing Education Conference

Date: March 14, 2022

Plan to earn continuing education hours toward licensure renewal by attending the upcoming Continuing Education Conference on Saturday, May 14. NSPE-Utah has partnered with the University of Utah Engineering Alumni Association and the Department of Occupational and Professional Licensing to deliver a great line-up of presenters and topics!

The conference will be held 8 a.m. to 5p.m. at the University of Utah Warnock Engineering Building (COVID restrictions permitting). In addition, plans are being made to broadcast the conference virtually to registered attendees statewide.

Attendance is free to all Utah PEs, including non-NSPE members. Look for registration information in the April issue of PE Matters and check the mail for your invitation.


ASPIRE Engineering Research Center Launches Electrified Roadway Demo

Date: March 14, 2022

Electreon, a provider of in-road wireless electric vehicle charging technology, and the Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE) have partnered to take on the nation's electrified transportation challenges to the widespread electrification of all vehicles, according to a Utah State Today report.

Electreon's in-motion (dynamic) wireless charging technology will be installed in ASPIRE's research test track in North Logan, Utah, in summer 2022 to showcase the company's technology for the first time in North America. The demonstration will consist of 50 meters of dynamic in-road wireless charging hardware installed in Utah State University's test track. Corresponding vehicle-side charging hardware will be installed on the Kenworth truck, and power management and charging communication systems will also be included.

This site will function as a live demonstration facility for departments of transportation, other government officials, current and potential industry partners, as well as Electreon's potential and prospective partners and clients to experience in-motion wireless charging as the technology moves to market deployment in the US.

Aspire Roadway Utah

Credit: ASPIRE


Dominion Energy Utah Launches Program to Reduce Carbon Footprint

Date: March 14, 2022

Dominion Energy customers in Utah can now sign up for CarbonRight, a new and affordable way to significantly reduce their carbon footprint. The program will allow customers to offset carbon emissions from natural gas use in their home or business by supporting projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a news release.

The program is voluntary and available to all residential customers, businesses, government buildings, and schools. To participate, customers may purchase carbon offsets in $5 blocks on their monthly bill. A typical residential customer can offset their entire carbon footprint, achieving "net zero" carbon emissions from their natural gas usage, by purchasing one $5 block a month, or $60 a year.

The carbon offsets offered through the program come from projects that reduce landfill carbon emissions in Utah and Missouri, as well as a forest management project in Minnesota that captures emissions from the environment. The offsets are independently certified through a rigorous and transparent process to ensure they meet the highest standards.

Save the Date! Continuing Education Conference at the University of Utah

Date: February 16, 2022

The Utah Society of Professional Engineers Board, the University of Utah Engineering Alumni Association, and the Department of Occupational and Professional Licensing are partnering to hold the annual Continuing Education Conference on Saturday, May 14 (COVID restrictions permitting).

This year promises a great line-up of presenters and topics! Many of you have probably attended this event in the past and know that it is a great opportunity to learn and earn continuing education hours toward license renewal. All Utah PEs, including non-NSPE members, are invited to participate in the free event. Look for more information in the March issue of PE Matters.


Does Utah Need a $270 Million Bridge Across Lake Powell?

Date: February 16, 2022

No bridges cross Lake Powell for roughly 90 miles between the Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona and Hite at the upstream end of the reservoir. For years, the Utah Department of Transportation operated a ferry between Halls Crossing and Bullfrog in the middle of Lake Powell. Because of record low reservoir levels and other issues, the ferry is not operational, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Representative Phil Lyman (R-Blanding) believes it's time to replace the ferry with a more reliable alternative. At a subcommittee hearing held at the Utah Capitol earlier this month, Lyman requested lawmakers approve $2 million for an engineering study of a large bridge to cross rugged canyon terrain near the ferry site.

"Right now," Lyman said, "90% of Lake Powell is in Utah but 90% of the traffic is flowing to Arizona because Arizona has so many more services there for Lake Powell. Bullfrog and Halls Crossing could be a world-class resort if we could connect the dots."

The proposal would carry a hefty price tag, however: approximately $270 million, according to preliminary estimates.


Utah Should Keep Its Engineering Momentum Going

Date: February 16, 2022

In a Desert News opinion column, Utah Valley University President Astrid Tuminez shares why she believes substantive investments and the right strategic partnerships will allow Utah to shape itself into a game-changer in the modern economy.

In the early 2000s, then-Utah Governor Michael O. Leavitt identified a major challenge for our state. Too many of Utah's startups were migrating to Silicon Valley for adequate talent and venture capital. Leavitt envisioned a high-tech economy thriving in Utah. To create a road map for his vision, he reached out to Silicon Valley industry leaders and met John Warnock, University of Utah alumnus and cofounder of Adobe Systems, who shared that the key to a high-tech economy was investing in engineering education.

In 2001, the Utah State Legislature passed SB61, or the Engineering Initiative, as a long-term collaboration between state government, higher education and industry leaders to facilitate a surge in engineering and computer science degrees. Now, nearly two decades since the bill was passed, Utah's higher education system has more than doubled its annual output of engineering and computer science graduates.

At Utah Valley University, we have nearly tripled our engineering students from 366 in 2001 to almost 1,100 in 2021, and computer science majors increased from 104 to 1,010 in the same timeframe. From 2010-2020, tech-related employment in Utah expanded from 46,000 to more than 118,000, and the state's GDP has grown from $70 billion to $168 billion.

Read more.


NSPE Career Center

Date: February 16, 2022

NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.

NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.

Featured Jobs
Transportation Director
Park City, UT

Mechanical Engineer

Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.

Summit Addresses Decreasing Health, Size of the Great Salt Lake

Date: January 19, 2022

Novel concerns about the Great Salt Lake’s demise have arisen among Utah lawmakers, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The lake’s water level dipped to a 175-year low last fall and worries about its health have spurred action. A bipartisan summit was held in December to discuss possible solutions.

The slow shrinkage of the lake had largely been ignored until recently, when it became a bipartisan concern. Upstream river diversions and drought are the causes. The lake is seen as being crucial to tourism and resident health and happiness in Utah. The summit was attended by politicians, scientists, and agency staff; they focused on policy changes and investments that would allow more to water to reach the terminal lake, according to the Tribune.


Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Allocates Millions for Bridge Repairs in Utah

Date: January 19, 2022

Under President Biden’s infrastructure plan that infuses $26.5 billion into bridge repair across the US, Utah will receive $225 million. The funds will come over five years via the Federal Highway Administration. Aside from making much-needed repairs, a major goal of the funding is to help bridges withstand the effects of climate change by modernizing them, FHWA Administrator Stephanie Pollack said.

Methane Leaks in Unita Basin Among the Nation’s Worst

Date: December 15, 2021

Up to 8% of the natural gas produced in Utah’s Uinta Basin escapes, leaking into the atmosphere, according to new research. This makes the site one of the nation’s major sources of methane emission, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. The gas is released via leaks from wells, pipelines, compressors, and processing facilities, according to monitoring data that was studied at the University of Utah. Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule that would greatly reduce methane and other harmful air pollution from sources in the oil and natural gas industry. The move would reduce 41 million tons of methane emissions from 2023 to 2035, the equivalent of 920 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the EPA said.


Infrastructure Law Funds Bridge and Road Repair, Transportation Upgrades

Date: December 15, 2021

The federal bipartisan infrastructure law will pay to repair and rebuild roads and bridges in Utah with a focus on climate change mitigation, resilience, equity, and safety for all users, including cyclists and pedestrians. In Utah, there are 62 bridges and over 2,064 miles of highway in poor condition, according to the Department of Transportation. The state is expected to receive approximately $2.6 billion over five years in federal highway formula funding for highways and bridges.

In addition, $665 million over five years will be spent on improving public transportation in Utah. Funding will also cover modernization of freight rail, increased EV charging options, airport improvements, and other infrastructure updates.

Utah Using Pig Waste as Renewable Energy Source

Date: November 17, 2021

Wind, solar, geothermal, and energy from pig waste are helping to power Milford, Utah, cleanly, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Large quantities of waste from a quarter of a million pigs on 26 local farms are helping to make the region greener.

Captured waste gasses are turned into “renewable natural gas” for home heating by Dominion Energy, which, like several other energy companies in Utah, has committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Investing in renewable energy sources to offset carbon emissions is one way the utility is working toward that goal. According to the Tribune, “Geothermal development in the area goes back nearly 40 years, wind 10 years, and solar five years.”


New Highway Expected to Improve Traffic Patterns in Fast-Growing County

Date: November 17, 2021

A new highway connecting busy roads in Tooele County should significantly ease congestion, KSL reports. The Midvalley Highway, or state Route 179, is a 4.5-mile highway that connects state Route 138 with I-80, providing a new access point to Tooele County communities from I-80. It also allows many motorists to reach areas in the Tooele Valley without having to use state Route 36. The route opened in late October.

Utah is currently leading the nation in growth, and Tooele County was the fifth-fastest growing county based on percentage increase, according to the 2020 census.

Ending Gender Stigma in Engineering Is an Ongoing Effort

Date: October 19, 2021

A recent article in The Utah Statesman discusses the opinion that women in engineering programs continue to face gender stigmas that can cause many to drop out or leave the profession. The article quotes female Utah State University students who say they need to see more female role models in STEM fields. Additionally, they assert that male members of the profession must strive to recognize female professional engineers they work with as being qualified PEs and treat them as such.

Women can also help themselves succeed, the author says, by taking on leadership roles in the profession and joining engineering clubs and organizations in college.


New Contract Manufacturing Facility Coming to Salt Lake City

Date: October 19, 2021

Armada Nutrition plans to broaden its operation capacity with a new nutraceutical manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City, reports Food Engineering. The new facility will be 438,000 square feet and, together with its other plant in Tennessee, will be part of over 750,000 square feet of manufacturing space, making Armada one of the industry’s largest contract manufacturers in the US in terms of capacity and output.

Armada is a full-service product developer and manufacturer specializing in powder and capsule applications. The plant will be fully operational in the second quarter of 2022. Over time, it will bring 375-400 new jobs to the area, a company spokesperson said.

Utah Lake Clean-Up Proposal Stirs Debate

Date: September 10, 2021

A proposal to restore Utah Lake through dredging and one of the largest island-building projects ever attempted is meeting criticism despite the assurances of the project developer, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The developer, Lake Restoration Solutions, believes dredging and building islands will clean the lake and restore miles of habitat. The organization’s CEO says private investors have committed to covering nearly all $6.4 billion in project costs, but he also wants the backing of government agencies.

On the other side, a BYU ecology professor says, “There is almost always disagreement in the scientific and [water] management community about what to do about big problems. I have talked to almost 100 experts from around the state and I have not met a single one who thinks this is a good idea.”


Anti-Licensing Forces Miss the Point

Date: September 10, 2021

Extreme anti-licensing bills have popped up in numerous states and are posing a threat to the rigorous and established professional standards followed by PEs, architects, and others who design and construct the built environment, according to an op-ed in The Hill.

Lawmakers calling for these extreme measures don’t differentiate between barbers and manicurists, for example, and PEs and architects, say Tom Smith, executive director of ASCE, and Michael Armstrong, CEO of NCARB. “In their absolutist free-market view, reflected in the language of their model legislation, a visit to a barbershop or beauty salon should be treated the same as designing a bridge or water treatment plant.”

The legislative proposals range from measures that would eliminate licensing entirely to so-called “Universal Licensing” bills that would require states to accept licenses from any state regardless of whether the out-of-state license had the same level of qualifications behind it.


Air Pollution Reaches Alarming Levels

Date: September 10, 2021

As Utah’s economy booms and its population grows, air quality in Salt Lake City has reached levels worse than those in New Delhi and Jakarta, reports the New York Times. Smoke from California’s wildfires, ground-level ozone pollution from power plants and cars, and dust storms originating in dried up lakebeds are all contributing factors. Another factor: diverting too much water from the Great Salt Lake, mainly for agriculture. Despite water concerns, the state’s “water consumption dwarfs that of many other states, including in other arid climates.”

Symposium Presenters Question Utah Lake Dredging Proposal

Date: August 11, 2021

Presenters at a recent “hastily convened” symposium said that Utah Lake can be restored without dredging, although others disagree, reports the Salt Lake Tribune. The symposium was organized by a BYU ecology professor and UVU colleagues who oppose proposals to create an “authority” to oversee the lake’s restoration and to sculpt the lakebed into island subdivisions to absorb Utah County’s meteoric growth.

Under a $6.4 billion real estate proposal from Lake Restoration Solutions, which has won the backing of Utah lawmakers, the company would invest in various habitat restoration projects in exchange for title to lakebed. The company would deepen the lake and use the fill to create 28 square miles of islands, which would support residential and commercial development.

Presenters at the symposium said deepening the lake would not restore it. In fact, they said it would disrupt the lakebed’s ecological function and create temperature zones with cold water at the bottom, instead of the uniform temperature the water now sees. The BYU ecology professor who helped organize the symposium said, “I see almost no scenario where that wouldn’t increase the severity and risk of having these really bad water quality issues, particularly with the [reduced] oxygenation of the water.”


Opinion: Utah cities shouldn’t gamble on nuclear power

Date: August 11, 2021

In the Deseret News, the president of the Utah Taxpayers Association cautions municipalities about small modular nuclear power. “[T]he taxpayers and communities of Utah should not act as venture capitalists for risky bets,” he writes.


State Officials Unveil Plan for ‘Innovation Community’

Date: August 11, 2021

State officials have decided on a broad framework for 600-acre miniature city and innovation district, reports KUER. The development, known as The Point, is planned for the border between Salt Lake and Utah counties on the site of the Utah State Prison.

The development is expected to have housing for 15,000 people and seven districts, each with its own function. Housing, retail, and offices will make up about 60% of the area; a quarter will be for trails, parks, and open space; and the rest is slated for infrastructure and roads. Carless transportation to and within the site is also a major goal of the project.

The concept for The Point has been developed over three years, and a project timeline is unclear. The state prison isn’t scheduled to relocate until 2022 at the earliest.

Construction of New State Parks Planned

Date: July 21, 2021

Construction of Utah’s newest state park is expected to begin next year, and a second new state park is also being developed, according to KSL.com. The Utahraptor State Park will be located about 15 miles northwest of Moab, and Lost Creek is planned for an area near Croydon in Morgan County. Two campgrounds will be built at Utahraptor, along with restrooms and trailheads for the off-highway vehicle and mountain bike trail systems in the area. A construction start date has not yet been set for Lost Creek State Park, which will be in an area already popular for paddlecraft and fishing. The projects have been slated to receive $83 million.


New Innovation Network Aims High

Date: July 21, 2021

Business and education leaders in the Beehive State have unveiled a game plan to improve innovation in the state, speed the growth of high-wage jobs, and draw more talent to the region, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. The team behind the Wasatch Innovation Network includes business leaders from fast-growing sectors such as biotech, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.

The network plans to build “lateral connections” among business mentors, venture capitalists, planners, and lobbyists across industries. Lobbying the state legislature and municipal governments is also in the network’s plans. Among the priority issues will be improving public and higher education in Utah, advancing transportation of all kinds, and pressing for tax incentives for businesses and new tools to recruit talented workers.

When Earthquakes Hit, Not All Utah Schools are Equal

Date: June 9, 2021

A Deseret News article calls attention to the engineering differences that helped some Utah school buildings withstand the 2020 Wasatch Front earthquake while others were significantly damaged. Following the 5.7 magnitude quake on March 18, a number of schools in the Granite District were damaged—West Lake STEM Junior High in West Valley City was deemed a “complete loss.” However, schools in the Salt Lake City School District, which had been retrofitting facilities for years, reported no damage.

The Wasatch Front Unreinforced Masonry Reduction Strategy report explains that disadvantaged and marginalized populations face a disproportionate danger. “While much has been done, a disparity exists between school districts with significant financial resources and those that are unable to overcome major obstacles in dealing with seismically deficient buildings, including a lack of viable funding mechanisms.”

The report also notes that the Wasatch Fault “poses one of the most catastrophic natural threat scenarios in the United States. The Wasatch Front has a 43% chance of a magnitude 6.75 or greater earthquake in the next 50 years, and experts project that such an event would be among the deadliest and costliest disasters in U.S. history.”


Advanced Composites Manufacturer Expands in Utah

Date: June 9, 2021

A leading manufacturer of advanced composites technology plans to build a flagship Center of Excellence for Research & Technology in Utah, reports Chemical Engineering. Hexcel Corp., of Stamford, Connecticut, manufactures carbon fiber, woven reinforcements, resins, prepregs, honeycomb, and additive manufactured parts for customers in commercial aerospace, space and defense, and industrial markets. The company says the center will add up to 150 new high-paying jobs in the next 12 years. West Valley City is home to Hexcel’s existing operations, including its largest high-performance carbon fiber manufacturing facility in the world. The facility employs about 600 people.

A recent article in Design News covered the expected growth in the advanced composites material market. Two areas for potential market growth are the wind energy sector and automotive battery enclosures. The article quotes Dr. R. Byron Pipes, executive director of the Indiana Manufacturing Institute at Purdue University: “These material systems provide weight savings that translate into energy savings and the CO2 reduction required to fight global warming. Further, the electrification of transportation systems demands more efficient, lightweight vehicles where a greater proportion of system weight is apportioned to contemporary battery technology.”

Road Project May Help Isolated Town

Date: May 12, 2021

An isolated town in southern Utah may gain a new connection to the state highway system if a $110 million project is built, reports the Salt Lake Tribune. Navajo Mountain, one of the most isolated communities in the Lower 48, has around 500 residents. They currently face lengthy drives to access basic services. While Monument Valley is only 45 miles from the community’s center, getting there requires a 120-mile drive. The Navajo Nation, Utah, and the federal government would likely need to provide financial support.

The project would have three phases, based on a draft proposal from Jones and DeMille Engineering: a $49 million dirt road connection between Navajo Mountain and Oljato; a $30.2 million dirt spur heading north across the San Juan River to connect to Highway 276 east of Halls Crossing; and the paving of both new roads.


Mass Timber Projects Come to SLC

Date: May 12, 2021

A Chicago company has proposed a 10-12 story mass timber building in Salt Lake City’s University Local Historic District, according to Building Salt Lake. The plan is for a mixed-use, all-studio project with townhomes. The company, Harbor Bay, is using a $144 million, 298-unit, nine-story (115 ft) mass timber building in Cleveland, called “Intro CLE,” as its model.

Additionally, a seven-story mass timber building is part of the Giv Group’s multiphase Project Open Development in Salt Lake City. The project is being called Utah’s first carbon neutral multifamily project.

Last November, ENR reported that 445 engineered wood projects completed or under construction, and 534 in design And the number of new mass-timber buildings in North America will double every two years.

Utah Mine Will Add to US Tellurium Supply

Date: April 21, 2021

Rio Tinto’s Kennecott mine plans to begin tellurium recovery operations later this year as a byproduct of copper smelting, reports AP. Tellurium is one of the least common elements on Earth and is used in photovoltaic solar cells. The company will invest $2.9 million to construct a new plant that will produce 20 tons per year. Michael Moats, professor of metallurgical engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, said increasing the domestic supply of the mineral is critical for renewable energy and national defense efforts in the US. He also explained that 20 tons per year is significant, given that global production is about 500 tons per year. Currently, domestic production of tellurium is chiefly carried out at a mine in Amarillo, Texas.


Provo River Delta Project Aims for Restoration

Date: April 21, 2021

Construction of the 260-acre Provo River Delta project is underway, reports ABC4. The project, says Utah DWR, will restore the interface between the Lower Provo River and Utah Lake and help recover the June sucker, a fish species native to Utah Lake and not found naturally anywhere else in the world. A majority of the lower Provo River’s flow will be diverted out of the existing river channel and into a newly constructed system of braided channels and wetlands before eventually making its way into Utah Lake. Prep work began in March 2020 and excavation began in June 2020. The project has been in planning for more than 10 years.

Siemens Plans for Hydrogen Production, Storage at Utah Plant

Date: March 15, 2021

The Intermountain Generating Station in Delta, Utah, may soon become the center of a plan to integrate hydrogen production and storage, reports Power magazine. On March 1, Siemens announced that it would begin a conceptual design study as part of an initiative “to analyze the overall efficiency and reliability of CO2-free power supply involving large-scale production and storage of hydrogen.”

The project is an example of the rapidly developing hydrogen market. The plant’s two coal-fired units are being converted into an 840-MW combined cycle facility that will run initially on a mix of natural gas and hydrogen, and then ultimately operate on hydrogen alone. Black & Veatch Corp. is overseeing the conversion. The Intermountain plant provides electricity to customers in Utah and Southern California.


Work Begins on New Highway

Date: March 15, 2021

Construction is underway on the $750 million, 16-mile West Davis Corridor, according to the Standard Examiner. Work on the four-lane divided highway begins after more than a decade of study and preparation. Farmington Bay Constructors—a joint venture of Ames Construction, Wadsworth Brothers Construction, and Staker Parson Materials and Construction—was selected to design and build the new highway. The contract requires completion of the road by fall 2024.

The project was spurred by population growth in the area. According to UDOT, by 2040, the number of homes in western Davis and Weber counties will increase by 65%. This growth is expected to increase travel delays in this area by 62%, even with all other planned projects.

Legislators Propose New Agency to Protect Water Rights

Date: February 11, 2021

State legislators are pushing for the creation of a new agency designed to advance the state’s claims to water from the Colorado River, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The proposed Colorado River Authority of Utah would have six members and a $9 million budget. According to House Speaker Brad Wilson, one of the bill’s sponsors, neighboring states that share the river’s flow have dedicated significant resources and expertise to preserve their water rights. The article reports that environmentalists believe the legislation is premised on the false idea that Utah is not receiving its full allotment of the Colorado’s flow, calling the proposed authority a “shadowy new government agency.”

At the same time, the Natural Resources Conservation Service reports that there is little chance that coming snowstorms will boost snowpack enough to improve the state’s drought conditions, according to the Deseret News. “There will be alarmingly low water supply conditions for this summer,” said an NRCS representative.


Utah Job Opportunities

Date: February 11, 2021

Senior Electrical Engineer and Senior Electrical Engineer
Doppelmayr USA, Inc.

Tenure-Track Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Position
Brigham Young University

Quality Engineer
Blackrock Microsystems, LLC.

Principal Construction Materials / Geotechnical Engineer
Wood

See other engineering job opportunities on the NSPE Job Board.

A Potential Electric Vehicle ‘Epicenter’?

Date: January 27, 2021

Utah State University, in a move to further its credentials in the development of electrified vehicles, is asking for the state’s help in updating and expanding its Electric Vehicle and Roadway building, reports the Deseret News. To improve the building and make space for a new research center for Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification, USU is asking state higher education officials to allow the university to issue up to $9.2 million in revenue bonds. USU trustee and former Utah Senate President Wayne Niederhauser says, “Utah can be the epicenter” of electrified transportation nationally.


Pedestrian Bridge: It’s a Record

Date: January 27, 2021

The largest pedestrian bridge in the state was unveiled in Orem on January 14. The bridge, at 1,000 feet long and 15 feet wide, connects Utah Valley University with the UTA FrontRunner Orem Central Station. The $30.7 million bridge was built through a partnership with UVU, the Utah Department of Transportation, the Utah Transit Authority, Orem City, and the Utah State Legislature. The bridge, over I-15, contains 15,000 square feet of heated concrete to melt snow and ice in the winter, and a full-coverage roof to provide shelter from the elements. The walkway is lined with 125 lights and 18 security cameras.
 largest pedestrian bridge

Cities Balk at Cost of Nuclear Project

Date: December 16, 2020

“Several Southern Utah cities are putting financial limits on their involvement in a nuclear power project after other Utah cities pulled out,” reports the St. George News. The power plant’s location is planned for an Idaho National Laboratory site near Idaho Falls. Municipalities in Idaho, California, New Mexico, and Utah would receive the energy generated from the 12 small modular reactors that will make up the plant. Energy contracts are signed through the Utah Association of Municipal Power Systems.

Seven Utah cities, however, have withdrawn from the project: Heber, Logan, Bountiful, Beaver, Lehi, Murray and Kaysville. Now, the remaining cities want protection from escalating costs. The city of Santa Clara, for example, is willing to spend $397,200 this year. The city’s public works director said he doesn’t want the cost to go higher after the other municipalities dropped out. If the cost increased, he added, “I would bring it back to the council, and they would determine whether they wanted to stay in the project or not.”


Ogden Steps Up Water Conservation

Date: December 16, 2020

To deal with an increasing population and a strained water supply, Ogden is aiming to reduce its current per capita water usage of 193 gallons per day to 175 gallons per day by 2065, reports the Standard-Examiner. The city’s goal is to meet residents’ water needs without having to build additional infrastructure. To meet that goal, the city plans to fix old infrastructure, detect leaks in the water system, implement public information campaigns, and provide conservation incentives to residents.

Engineering a Geothermal Reservoir

Date: November 18, 2020

Researchers in Beaver County have started drilling one of two deep deviated wells in an attempt to determine if there is a technologically and commercially viable way to tap geothermal power from an engineered, human-made reservoir, according to the Deseret News. Funded by the US Energy Department, the project is unique due to well’s steeper angle. The upper part of the well will be drilled vertically through approximately 4,700 feet of  sediments, at which point it will penetrate into hard crystalline granite. At about 6,000 feet, the well will be gradually steered at a 5-degree angle for each 100 feet until it reaches an inclination of 65 degrees from its vertical point.


Regulators Release EIS for Proposed Railway

Date: November 18, 2020

Federal regulators say that an oil-hauling rail line in northeastern Utah would harm 10,000 acres of wildlife habitat, reports the Salt Lake Tribune. The Uinta Basin Railway is proposed by seven counties (Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, San Juan, Sevier, and Uintah) that want to connect to the national rail network and encourage economic development in the area. Public comment deadline on the Surface Transportation Board’s environmental impact statement is December 14.


UDOT Tests Connected Vehicle Technology

Date: October 28, 2020

A UDOT pilot project to improve highway safety through the use of connected-vehicle technology is moving to a second phase, according to Government Technology. “The project will involve outfitting more vehicles — namely UDOT fleets, but also other vehicles from other public-sector agencies — with onboard technology that can connect to roadside units” the article says. UDOT is carrying out the project in partnership with Panasonic Corp. of North America.


Solar Projects Threaten Rural Way of Life

Date: October 28, 2020

The hamlet of Fairfield in Utah County is gaining popularity, but not the type its residents like. Three major solar projects are proposed within its boundaries or nearby, raising concern that its rural quality of life will suffer, reports the Salt Lake Tribune. Two of the projects, proposed by NextEra Energy Resources, would each occupy about 1,300 acres of rangelands owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The third project, proposed by Sandy-based Enyo Renewable Energy, would take up 200 acres within Fairfield and the rest in Eagle Mountain and unincorporated Utah County. Some feel they have a no-win situation in which the land is used for either solar farms or subdivisions.

NTSB Report and NSPE's Action on this Issue

Date: December 11, 2019

Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) sent letters to the governors of 31 states named in its final report on the Merrimack Valley gas pipeline explosions, including Utah. The letter requests an end to the engineering license exemption for gas pipeline operators in these states, and asks for governors to provide an update to the NTSB with in 90 days.

When the NTSB began its investigation of the Merrimack Valley gas pipeline explosions, investigative staff reached out to NSPE seeking information about licensing exemptions. Through a series of conversations and emails, NSPE shared report data, information on the licensing process and requirements, and its Position Statement on licensing exemptions. Consequently, NSPE was successful in getting the NTSB to adopt a policy of addressing and eliminating engineering license exemptions within the gas pipeline industry.

NSPE’s national staff continues to be in conversation with NTSB staff, and will continue to share updates as they happen. We are happy to support state efforts at eliminating this exemption.

Read the full report from NTSB.

NTSB Report and Recommendations

Pipeline explosionA BURNED-OUT MASSACHUSETTS HOME AFTER THE GAS EXPLOSIONS
CREDIT: NTSB

NTSB has released an abstract of its forthcoming final report on the fatal Merrimack Valley pipeline explosion from September of last year. Final revisions are being made to the report, but in the report’s synopsis/executive summary, NTSB states that “requiring a licensed professional engineer to stamp plans would illustrate that the plans had been approved by an accredited professional with the requisite skills, knowledge, and experience to provide a comprehensive review.” Acknowledging the importance of the role of the PE in preventing an event like this from occurring, NTSB recommends the elimination of the licensing exemption on natural gas pipeline projects in the 31 states that have the exemption in place, including the state of Utah.

Read the synopsis of the report.


2018 Continuing Education Conference

Date: May 5, 2018

NSPE Executive Director, Mark Golden, CAE, F.ASAE, visited the Utah Society of Professional Engineers for the 2018 Continuing Education Conference at the University of Utah on May 5, 2018.

Kudos to Brad Allen, Eric Anderson & Jason Foulger for putting together the 2018 Continuing Education Conference at the University of Utah. Honored to be a presenter and meet so many members.

@mjgolden May 5
Kudos to Brad Allen, Eric Anderson & Jason Foulger for putting together the 2018 Continuing Education Conference at the University of Utah. Honored to be a presenter and meet so many members. USPE and @NSPE unity in action!

Kudos to Brad Allen, Eric Anderson & Jason Foulger for putting together the 2018 Continuing Education Conference at the University of Utah. Honored to be a presenter and meet so many members.

@mjgolden May 5
Kudos to Brad Allen, Eric Anderson & Jason Foulger for putting together the 2018 Continuing Education Conference at the University of Utah. Honored to be a presenter and meet so many members. USPE and @NSPE unity in action!

USPE membership could not have been more welcoming or excited. Thanks, Utah. Utah and @NSPE - strong and united!

@mjgolden May 5
USPE membership could not have been more welcoming or excited. Thanks, Utah. Utah and @NSPE - strong and united!