Emma Jane Jackson
Emma Jane Jackson joined Cowboy State Daily as an energy reporter in September 2026. She’s previously written for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Billings Gazette and the Daily Iowan. In 2022, she created a podcast called “Out of Sight: Missing and Murdered” about Selena Not Afraid, a young woman who was found deceased near a rest stop in Hardin, Montana. She graduated from Triton College in River Grove, Illinois, in 2018.
Latest from Emma Jane Jackson
Forget 8.8% Increase — Watchdog Group Tells Rocky Mountain Power To Lower Rate
Wyoming’s Office of Consumer Advocate is telling regulators that consumers should be paying less for electricity instead of accepting an 8.8% price increase. "We look to make sure they don’t get a dollar more than they are entitled to," a spokesman said.
Emma Jane JacksonOctober 01, 2026
Is Wyoming Going Electric? EV Registrations Surge Tenfold In Two Years
Registered EVs and hybrids have grown tenfold in Wyoming since 2024 in a state that once turned down federal charger money. A Cheyenne mom says she bought her daughter a Tesla because it “drives itself.” She also hosts Tesla light show parties at her house.
Emma Jane JacksonOctober 01, 2026
Calif. Gov. Newsom Puts Up Hurdle To Wyoming Coal Moving Through Oakland Port
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law Wednesday that adds environmental reviews that will slow progress on a planned coal terminal at the Port of Oakland. Gov. Mark Gordon says Wyoming’s considering “all options” in response, including a legal fight.
Emma Jane JacksonOctober 01, 2026
Barrasso, Lummis Slam Senate Democrats for Sinking Data Center Power Bill
Wyoming’s GOP senators voiced frustration that the Ratepayer Protection Act failed Wednesday because it aimed to make large data centers cover their own electricity costs. “Even AOC and Hakeem Jeffries voted for it in the House,” Barrasso said.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 30, 2026
Chinese EVs Are Getting Closer To The U.S., But Would Wyomingites Drive One?
As Chinese EVs head to Canada and President Trump signals openness to domestic production, Wyoming EV owners and industry insiders are mixed on whether they could get traction in the Cowboy State. "It'd have to be a better ride," one Tesla owner says.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 30, 2026
Data Center Critics Angry As Cheyenne Council OKs Another Data Center Annexation
Vocal critics of data centers in Cheyenne told the City Council on Monday that many "have totally, completely given up on you." Then council members argued among themselves before approving another 1,260-acre annexation for a data center.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 29, 2026
As Wyoming Tries Again To Build Out EV Charging Network, Trump Goes The Other Way
As Wyoming moves to finally spend nearly $18 million in federal money to build fast-charging EV stations, the Trump administration is making clear that it wants the country to move the other way. Trump called the Biden-era policy a "backdoor" EV mandate.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 29, 2026
Mystery Orbs Are Back Over Cody, And UFO Expert Can't Explain Them
A Cody man watched nearly two dozen glowing orbs rise over Cedar Mountain west of town every night last winter. Then they vanished for months. Now they're back, and Wyoming's Mutual UFO Network director says he has no explanation for the video.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 26, 2026
Cheyenne Woman Asks Court To Overturn 3,500-Acre Microsoft Data Center Annexation
A Cheyenne woman who helped gather more than 3,000 signatures to put a 3,500-acre Microsoft data center annexation to a vote is asking a judge to overturn the City Council’s approval of the annexation. “Let the people decide,” she said.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 25, 2026
Ex-Wyoming Family OK'd For Wind Farm Over Objections From Neighbors With Oil Wells
Scott Salo spent years watching neighbors collect oil checks from wells drilled off his ranch just south of the Wyoming line. On Wednesday, commissioners approved a wind project on his land, giving him the first time he had a say in his land's energy future.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 25, 2026
Wyoming Industry Leaders Oppose Reported Trump Plan To Ban Diesel Exports
Wyoming industry leaders and U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis oppose a 90-day ban on diesel exports reportedly proposed by Trump’s White House. Critics fear cutting off the supply could backfire and drive fuel prices even higher.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 24, 2026
Mutilated Bear Found On Northern Cheyenne Reservation Missing Paws and Head
A Northern Cheyenne woman feared she had found a missing man. Instead, it was a dead black bear missing its paws and head. With few officers on the reservation about 50 miles north of Wyoming, she says she has little hope of an investigation.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 23, 2026
Wyoming Consumer Advocate Office Will Fight Rocky Mountain Power's 8.8% Rate Hike
Wyoming's Office of Consumer Advocate on Tuesday said it will fight Rocky Mountain Power's proposed 8.8% rate hike — its third in three years. They say they will recommend a significant reduction or an elimination of the proposed increase altogether.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 22, 2026
Cheyenne City Council to Consider 1,200-Acre Solar Project On Belvoir Ranch
Months after the City of Cheyenne cut the ribbon on its new Belvoir Ranch trail system, the city council is set to consider the addition of a 140-megawatt solar and battery storage project on a different part of the 18,800-acre property.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 22, 2026
Casper Mountain Residents Clash Over Rocky Mountain Power Coming Onto Their Land
Casper Mountain residents are clashing over Rocky Mountain Power’s wildfire mitigation work on their land. One refuses to let a subcontractor cut down the pine tree where her father's ashes are buried, but a neighbor is thrilled to see her own trees go.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 22, 2026
TerraPower Is Replacing Lead Contractor On Its Kemmerer Nuclear Plant
TerraPower is replacing the lead construction contractor on the next phase of its Natrium nuclear plant being built near Kemmerer, Wyoming. Mayor Robert Brown said he was surprised by the move, and construction on the first-of-its-kind plant is on track.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 21, 2026
Lawsuit Claims Grok Used Wyoming Woman's Photo To Make 7,000 AI Child Porn Pics
A class-action lawsuit alleges a Wyoming woman's stepfather uploaded her childhood photo to Grok, then used the AI platform to generate 7,000 pornographic images of her. She feels "like her childhood has been stolen,” says one of the woman’s attorneys.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 18, 2026
‘I Almost Cried,’ Says Torrington Woman After Power Rates Jump 190% Overnight
Torrington residents are getting sticker shock from their electricity bills, which have jumped nearly 190% seemingly overnight after a change in the town’s power provider. “When I got my bill this last time I almost cried,” said one local woman.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 17, 2026
Missing 13-Year-Old Montana Boy's Body Found In Clarks Fork River
Searchers found the body of a 13-year-old Montana boy named Ephraim who fell into the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River just north of the Wyoming border on Wednesday afternoon. Crews from nearly a dozen agencies searched for him Thursday.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 17, 2026
New Plan For Scaled-Down Laramie Range Wind Project Still Bigger Than Cheyenne
A new plan for a scaled-down version of the Laramie Range Wind Project county commissioners rejected a year ago is still larger than the city of Cheyenne. A rancher says leasing land for the turbines will protect his family’s future.
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 16, 2026
'A Huge Step': Wyoming's Largest Coal Mine Finds New Route To Asia Through Mexico
Peabody Energy, Union Pacific, and Mexican rail partner Ferromex have shipped coal from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin to the Port of Guaymas, opening a Pacific export route for America's largest coal mine. A mining official calls it "a huge step."
Emma Jane JacksonSeptember 16, 2026