Economic development and workforce services interim committee

Members of the public may participate remotely in the meeting by visiting the committee’s webpage to access the live streaming options: https://le.utah.gov/committee/committee.jsp?year=2026&com=INTEDW

1. Committee Business

· Call to order

· Approval of the minutes of the June 17, 2026, meeting

2. Data Center Policy

The committee will receive presentations regarding the existing data center permitting checklist and best practices, data center power demands and tradeoffs between water and energy use, and economic impact of data centers.

· Jake Garfield, Deputy Director, Office of Energy Development

· Tim Davis, Commissioner, Department of Environmental Quality

· Lance Soffe, Senior Vice President of Economic Growth, Governor’s Office of Economic Development

· Dr. Shon Hiatt, Associate Professor, University of Southern California

3. Higher Education Innovation

The committee will receive a presentation on H.B. 373 Higher Education Innovation from the 2026 General Session, the implementation of the bill, research priorities, and policy implications.

· Geoffrey Landward, Commissioner of Higher Education

4. Data Privacy

The committee will receive a presentation on consumer data protections.

· Christopher Bramwell, Chief Privacy Officer, Director, Utah Office of Data Privacy

· Katie Hass, Director, Division of Consumer Protection

5. Economic Opportunity Zones

The committee will receive a presentation on economic opportunity zone tracts.

· Governor’s Office of Economic Development

6. Other Items/Adjourn