Utah Leadership & Water: Utah’s top natural resources official, Joel Ferry, is stepping down after four years, with Gov. Cox naming state forester Jamie Barnes to lead the Department of Natural Resources—coming as the state faces record heat, wildfire pressure, drought, and a Great Salt Lake that’s still teetering near historic lows. Great Salt Lake Policy Focus: An opinion argues Utah’s Great Salt Lake work should be judged by how much water it puts back in the basin, pushing for basin-wide water budgeting based on depletion, not just diversion. Heat & Wildfire Risk: A heat dome continues to drive dangerous conditions across the West and Southwest, raising wildfire and health risks, while storms and flash-flood threats also move through Utah. Power Grid Stress: The DOE says 17 states—including Utah—are at risk of blackout and can activate backup generation to avoid grid collapse during extreme heat. Nuclear Fuel Push (Utah in the mix): The DOE is advancing “Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus” talks with Utah and four other states, tying potential fuel-cycle work and waste storage to future nuclear development. Data Centers vs. Electricity: A separate report highlights how AI data center growth is straining power systems and pushing new “ratepayer protection” pledges, with Utah in the broader heat-and-grid pressure picture.