  The recent discovery of spin-triplet superconductivity emerging from a
non-magnetic parent state in UTe$_2$ has stimulated great interest in the
underlying mechanism of Cooper pairing. Experimental characterization of
short-range electronic and magnetic correlations is vital to understanding
these phenomena. Here we use resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS), X-ray
absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and atomic multiplet-based modeling to shed
light on the active debate between 5$f^2$6$d^1$-based models with singlet
crystal field states versus 5$f^3$-based models that predict atomic Kramers
doublets and much greater 5$f$ itinerancy. The XAS and RIXS data are found to
agree strongly with predictions for an 5$f^2$6$d^1$-like valence electron
configuration with weak intra-dimer magnetic correlations, and provide new
context for interpreting recent investigations of the electronic structure and
superconducting pairing mechanism.
