Two wind farm projects in eastern Wyoming got a green light before the State Board of Land Commissioners on Thursday, but not before tempers flared yet again between Gov. Mark Gordon and Secretary of State Chuck Gray.
Gordon and Gray were on opposing sides when it came to approving the two separate wind farm projects that would lease state land in Converse and Niobrara counties over the course of a 40-year term. The two lawmakers have sparred over many different topics since Gray’s election in 2022.
Both wind projects were approved by the board on 4-1 votes, with Gray the only member to vote against both. The board is made up by the state’s top five statewide elected officials.
Both projects are unique as the power they generate would be built to support a hydrogen plant rather than providing energy directly to the electrical grid. Construction on both would be scheduled to start in 2028.
Gray’s opposition to the project mostly centered on his belief that wind energy is inherently fraudulent and entirely dependent on government subsidies to survive. On Thursday, he repeatedly praised President Donald Trump’s efforts to roll back these tax credits for green energy, and said supporting the turbines amounts to Wyoming competing with itself.
“It really is built on a fantasy, an illusion that is not in line with being a fiduciary, which is what we should be doing,” Gray said.
Gray also criticized remarks Gordon made on the TV show “60 Minutes” and at Harvard University in 2023 where the governor espoused his “all of the above” energy policy for Wyoming that supports both fossil fuels and green energy projects.
Paul Martin, president of Focus Clean Energy, admitted tax credits do play a role in the financing of his company’s projects but said they will be moving forward with their plans whether or not the credits are there.
Gordon disagrees with Gray and believes respecting private property rights and economic opportunity make both projects well worth it, mentioning how Texas leads the country in both oil and gas production and wind energy.
When Gray went on a tangent about being a “victim” of the media, Gordon cut him off and urged him not to be “sanctimonious.”
State Treasurer Curt Meier agreed with Gordon about the wind farms and said the public eventually gets used to turbines wherever they are built. He mentioned turbines built near the small town of Arlington outside Laramie that he said he’s never heard any complaints about. Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder agreed and said Wyoming must be open for business, even if it’s not a business of her preference.
Neither project has final approval. Both still need the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s Industrial Siting Division and Siting Council to sign off on them.
Cindy Delancey of law firm Holland and Hart spoke on behalf of the Pronghorn project, which she said has been under consideration by the state for four years. Delancey said the project will provide valuable economic benefits for Wyoming and specifically its public schools.
The Office of State Lands and Investments (OSLI) recommended approving both projects on Thursday. It is OSLI’s duty to find the highest possible financial return for the state.
This is the biggest reason why Degenfelder said she supports the project despite having concerns about wind energy, previously working in the oil and gas industry herself.
“I have to consider the oath that I took to protect my fiduciary responsibility,” she said.
What Will They Do?
Sidewinder H2, LLC, a Delaware-based company that’s a subsidiary of Acciona and Nordex Green Hydrogen, which has teamed up with Focus Clean Energy on the project, wants to build a wind farm 10 miles west of Lusk. The project will span 120,110 acres, of which 19.4%, or 23,290 acres is state land.
Their project is expected to use 352 megawatts of energy sited on state trust land, subject to state approval, which would create 201 permanent jobs and $7 billion investment. It would be estimated to produce 1,000 megawatts of wind energy.
Pronghorn H2 LLC, another Delaware company owned by Acciona & Nordex, wants to build 45 wind turbines on private and state lands 20 miles east of Casper over 46,000 total acres, of which 13,838 acres or 30%, is owned by the state. This project would include a capacity of up to 110 megawatts of electricity and be about one-third of the size of the Sidewinder project.
It’s estimated this project would generate $365,750 for the state annually and $31.5 million over the course of the 40-year lease. OSLI staffer Cody Booth said wind projects in the state currently generate $1.2 million in annual revenue for Wyoming.
A smaller development period fee would also be paid before the wind farm is up and running.
Martin said the Pronghorn project represents more than $1 billion in private investment and will create 65 permanent jobs, with average projected salary and benefits around $80,000 per year.
The hydrogen plant itself would not be located on state land. Martin admitted that there’s little market for hydrogen currently, but the hydrogen they would produce would be combined with carbon dioxide to create a synthetic fuel, mostly likely to be used in regional aviation.
Gray asked Martin why this process would be pursued when they could just make fuel “the good ol’ fashioned way.” Martin said although traditional fuel will be used for the foreseeable future, their product would be offered as a premium, green-friendly product option for groups that want to reduce their carbon emissions.
“Those guys might want to tell the targets of the world and different clients that they might have that they’re reducing their carbon footprint,” Martin said. “That means they’re willing to pay extra for a product that’s gone through this complex process.”
In response, Gray called the inspiration to fight climate change a “woke, bogus narrative.”
“I just want to point that out,” he said. “The end result here is, it’s not creating economic benefit in my opinion.”
Economic Benefits
Meier disagreed with Gray, saying there’s a real economic benefit for Niobrara County, which could double its tax revenues and no longer be the state’s poorest county. In total, Pronghorn would provide $471 million in tax revenue over 35 years.
Former Niobrara County Commissioner Tom Wasserburger said adding more than 200 jobs in his community is sorely needed, mentioning how Lusk High School’s enrollment is less than half of what it used to be.
“I’m here to speak passionately in support of this project,” he said. “It’s hugely important guys, we’re dying, we need help.”
Glenrock Mayor Bruce Roumell expressed concern about how the Pronghorn project will impact water availability in his town. (Leo Wolfson, Cowboy State Daily) 
Bobby Giesse warned the board that the turbines will scare away tourists. (Leo Wolfson, Cowboy State Daily)
Opposition
Booth said the vast majority of public comments submitted on both projects opposed them, with people expressing a variety of fears including decreasing property values, increased traffic and disrupted water availability.
Glenrock Mayor Bruce Roumell brought up the water issue on Thursday, questioning how his town’s water availability will be affected by the Pronghorn project.
“If we don’t have water, we’re not going to have a state because everybody’s gone,” Roumell said.
Pronghorn is projected to use 300-acre-feet of water per year of consumptive use.
“While water is a major input for our process, the actual volume that we will be using is not that great, especially when considering the economic benefits that we’re going to see,” Martin said.
Bobby Giesse of the Magoon Ranch expressed concern that the turbines could hurt tourism in his region of the state.
“How many people back east that are thinking about coming and visiting us, put on the top of the bucket list, I want to see wind turbines?” he asked sarcastically. “They’re coming here to see our natural resources, the Grand Tetons, cowboys.”
Glenrock resident Mike Stephens agreed and said the Pronghorn project will be located in his region’s version of the Teton Mountains.
Energy produced from both projects will serve as a key energy component of the hydrogen center, which will produce clean hydrogen, an essential gas utilized in refining and fertilizer production as well energy and transportation.
The base operating fee for both projects will be $4,750 per year for each megawatt hour of capacity installed per turbine. If they’re regulated as utilities, they will be charged a $2.28 per megawatt price instead of a royalty fee. If not, the royalty payment will start at 5% of gross revenues for the first 10 years of operation, 6% for years 10-20, and 6.5% for years 20-30, and 8% for year 30) through the term of the lease.
Gray also said there are serious flaws in the contracts for both projects.
An executive session was held for around 30 minutes to discuss it, where Gray said the board was assured by their legal counsel there were no vulnerabilities in it, a conclusion he disagreed with. Gray said it’s unclear whether the lease can be assigned to a new subsidiary without its permission.
“The contract has enormous problems in it,” he said.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
