CRES is proud to recognize Senator John Curtis (R-Utah) as our October CRESponsible Leader of the Month.
Sen. Curtis has long been one of Congress’ most consistent voices on energy and the environment. He joined Congress at a time when Republicans who talked about climate were warned it was a political mistake, and he has spent the past nine years making the case that meeting America’s growing energy demand will take every resource available.
Sen. Curtis joined the Senate in 2025 after representing Utah in the House and serving as mayor of Provo. He serves on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where he has pressed to streamline federal permitting and support state-led energy innovation like Utah’s Operation Gigawatt. He has also championed next-generation geothermal. He is an original cosponsor of the bipartisan Geo POWER Act (S.4116), which would create a Department of Energy financing program for geothermal projects in regions that have never had geothermal power. He is also a cosponsor of the bipartisan Pacific POWER Act (S.4610), which would help Indo-Pacific allies develop geothermal energy.
While still in the House, Sen. Curtis founded the Conservative Climate Caucus in 2021 to advance market-driven solutions that keep energy affordable and reliable while lowering emissions. The caucus has now grown to more than 60 House Republicans. He has also been a longtime champion of National Clean Energy Week and spoke at the Policymakers Symposium this September for its 10th anniversary. His full remarks can be found here.
Sen. Curtis has pushed for bipartisan permitting reform throughout his career. As he puts it, “America should be able to build critical infrastructure without getting stuck in outdated federal processes.” His ePermit Act (S.3800) would replace paper-based permitting with a single digital portal where developers can submit documents once and track federal reviews in real time. The bill is now included in the Senate’s Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (S.5653).
Utah shows what this work makes possible. Last month, Fervo Energy’s Cape Station in Beaver County delivered its first power to the grid, a first for any utility-scale enhanced geothermal project. At full capacity, the site is expected to power nearly 1 million homes. Projects like this are why an all-of-the-above energy strategy matters for Utah and the country.
For his leadership on permitting modernization and American energy innovation, CRES is proud to name Sen. John Curtis our October CRESponsible Leader of the Month.