Aspen Policy Academy

The inside of a data center showing the computing mechanical parts.

Impact Case Study: Rebecca Kilberg, Jonathan Gilmour, and Mary-Clare Bosco

By the Aspen Policy Academy

Rebecca Kilberg, Jonathan Gilmour, and Mary-Clare Bosco’s Science and Technology Policy Fellowship project successfully influenced the State of Utah to pass new legislation regulating data center water use. During the Fellowship, the team developed recommendations for the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner to set water use effectiveness targets for the growing data center presence in the State. Leaning on their Fellowship lessons on advocating to stakeholders and scoping a policy problem, they successfully pitched their policy proposal to Utah government officials, penned a persuasive op-ed in the Salt Lake City Tribune, and ultimately helped inform a 2026 Utah state law requiring data centers to report their water use.

Our Impact Case studies are short documents that showcase our alumni’s experiences with and impacts from Academy programming.

View the Case Study