Writer

Pat Maio

Follow Pat Maio

Envelope

Latest from Pat Maio

Atlas Carbon north of Gillette, Wyoming, just south of the Dry Fork coal mine.

Atlas Carbon Continues To Struggle With Repayment Of $15 Million State Loan

Six months after the state of Wyoming threw a lifeline to Gillette-based Atlas Carbon on a $15 million loan, it continues to struggle with repayment. The state says making interest-only payments is keeping the company in “good standing.”

Pat MaioSeptember 13, 2024

Kemmerer Coal Mine Sold To Southern California Real Estate Company

The Kemmerer, Wyoming, coal mining operation has been quietly sold to a Southern California real estate investment company. No word yet on what the new owner, ECC Capital Corp., wants to do with it.

Pat MaioSeptember 13, 2024

A 2.71-mile stretch of US Highway 30 near the Kemmerer port of entry will be realigned to the north so that a coal mine operator can access more than 9 million tons of coal reserves. The road will be moved to the left of the truck that is heading toward the port of entry.

No More Coal Road: Project To Move Highway To Access Kemmerer Coal Stopped

Work has stopped on a $30 million project to move 3 miles U.S. Highway 30 near Kemmerer to access more than 9 million tons of coal. The coal mine's owner blames declining demand.

Pat MaioSeptember 12, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris during Tuesday's presidential debate on Sept. 10, 2024, and a Wyoming drilling rig.

Wyoming Energy Officials Don't Buy Kamala's Claim She's Okay With Fracking

During Tuesday's presidential debate, Kamala Harris doubled down on her new promise not to ban fracking, but energy industry officials in Wyoming and the region don’t buy it.

Pat MaioSeptember 11, 2024

Richard Tygret, 58, showed up at the Cheyenne National Cemetery on Monday to randomly place an American flag on the burial site of a military officer who he doesn’t know. The deceased person, Robert M. Samuel Jr., served in the Navy, and was buried in the cemetery last July. He was driving back from a camping weekend at the Vedauwoo recreation area when he felt moved to stop at the cemetery to recognize someone he didn’t know.

Botched Memorial Day Ceremony At Cheyenne National Cemetery Was “Miscommunication”

When family members showed up at the Cheyenne National Cemetery on Memorial Day for a service to honor fallen heroes and loved ones, the VA never showed up to host the service. On Wednesday, VA officials told Cowboy State Daily it was a "miscommunication" and would never happen again.

Pat MaioSeptember 11, 2024

Ranking Says Wyomingites Have Least Credit Card Debt In United States

According to a national economic study, Wyoming citizens carry less credit card debt than anywhere else in the U.S. Economic analysts believe the state’s low tax rate and overall conservative mindset to not rely on debt are part of the reasons why.

Pat MaioSeptember 10, 2024

The site about 20 miles southwest of Green River could produce 6 million tons of soda ash and sodium bicarbonate a year.

Huge $5 Billion Proposed Trona Mine Set For Review By Wyoming Regulators

Construction on a huge $5 billion trona mining project near Green River, Wyoming, is scheduled to begin in mid-2025. It will employ 2,100 construction workers annually before becoming operational in early 2029.

Pat MaioSeptember 10, 2024

The Laramie River Station power plant in Wheatland, Wyoming.

Tri-State Gets $679 Million From Feds For Transition From Coal-Fired Plants

Tri-State Generation has received $679 million from a federal program to boost renewables to support the retirement of coal-fired power plants. Laramie River Station in Wyoming, however, is not set for closure.

Pat MaioSeptember 09, 2024

Former Top Colorado Regulator Predicts A Shakeup For Wyoming Power Co-ops

Raymond Gifford, a former chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, says a shakeup is coming for Wyoming’s power cooperatives. He's also the lawyer helping electricity co-ops leave Tri-State Generation.

Pat MaioSeptember 07, 2024

Colorado-based Energy Fuels Inc. plans to ramp up its uranium production at its sites in Wyoming. Pictured is one of the comnpany's White Mesa Mill operation in Utah

Wyoming Rare Earth Miner Expands Global Reach, Buys Australian Company

Energy Fuels Inc., which is preparing to ramp up its Nichols Ranch uranium mine near Kaycee, Wyoming, is expanding. It’s close to buying a critical rare earth minerals company in Australia.

Pat MaioSeptember 06, 2024

Long coal trains pull in and out of the North Antelope Rochelle mine in Campbell County, Wyoming.

After Hedge Fund Buys 10% Of Peabody, It Wants Company To Buy Back $1.4B In Stock

At the urging of a hedge fund in Texas that bought nearly 10% of Peabody Energy, the company is accelerating efforts to develop “existing assets.” That includes urging the company to spend $1.46 billion on buying back shares of its stock.

Pat MaioSeptember 05, 2024

A row of high-voltage power transmission lines running through southern Wyoming.

Growing Energy Supplier Eyes Larger Toehold In Wyoming's Shifting Power Market

Guzman Energy, a Denver-based wholesale power provider with funding from a Walmart heir, eyes gaining a larger toehold in Wyoming and the Western U.S. Guzman also refutes claims by some critics who worry the company can’t deliver on promises.

Pat MaioSeptember 05, 2024

Other Authors

Black Hills Energy office at 1301 W. 24th St. in Cheyenne.

California Grid Operator’s Expansion Into Wyoming Includes Black Hills Energy

The California power operator that manages the flow of electricity across 26,000 miles of high-voltage power lines has added Black Hills Corp. in Wyoming to its system.

Pat MaioSeptember 04, 2024

The net zero house has a modern look with materials and design that fit well with Wyoming and a rural landscape.

Wyoming High Court Reverses PSC On Rules For Buying Excess Power From Customers

The Wyoming Supreme Court has reversed a Wyoming Public Service Commission decision about how customers sell their excess green power back to the grid.

Pat MaioSeptember 03, 2024

Artist’s rendering of the Project Bison direct air capture facility to be located near Sweetwater, Wyoming. A truck is shown delivering a container-sized direct-air capture module.

Giant Wyoming Carbon Capture Project Pulls Plug For Lack Of Clean Power

CarbonCapture had planned to build one of the world’s largest direct air CO2 capture projects in southwest Wyoming. Now it’s pulling the plug because there’s not enough clean power to run it.

Pat MaioSeptember 03, 2024

A power substation with wind turbines in the background in Wyoming.

Wyoming's Electricity Industry On The Cusp Of Transmission Shakeup

The Wyoming Public Service Commission has begun studying how electricity is delivered over hundreds of miles of transmission lines. The outcome could lead to a major shakeup for Wyoming.

Pat MaioAugust 30, 2024

$In an exclusive interview with CNN's Dana Bash on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris tried to explain her 180-degree flip on fracking.$

Kamala Harris Interview With CNN Exposes Flip-Flop On Fracking

Kamala Harris did a 180-degree flip on fracking in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on Thursday. Political watchdogs told Cowboy State Daily her new position on fracking is politics, not policy.

Pat MaioAugust 30, 2024

Electricity Co-ops In Wyoming Poised For Savings Through New Grid Operator

A newly forming regional transmission organization in Arkansas is looking to attract members throughout Colorado and Wyoming. That could save members $200 million annually by delivering power more cheaply.

Pat MaioAugust 29, 2024

16 Months After 30 Tons Of Chemical Used In Explosives Vanished, Investigation Continues

The Federal Railroad Administration said Wednesday that it’s still investigating the disappearance of 30 tons of a chemical used in explosives. It was lost from a defective railcar somewhere between Cheyenne and the Mojave Desert in California.

Pat MaioAugust 29, 2024

A loop of motorized trails in the Red Desert area of Wyoming near a place called Adobe Town is featured in this documentary film on the RideBDR YouTube channel.

Hedge Fund Hot To Invest In Wyoming’s Huge Red Desert Uranium Deposits

Canada-based Premier American Uranium announced this week it may have found 8 to 12 million pounds of uranium in Wyoming’s Red Desert. The state’s huge deposits and industry boom are attracting large hedge funds to buy up Wyoming uranium.

Pat MaioAugust 28, 2024

Electric vehicle charging stations at the Jackson Hole Airport.

Feds Send $5.5 Million To Wyoming's Richest City To Build EV Charging Stations

The city of Jackson, Wyoming, which is among one of the wealthiest in America, has received $5.5 million from the federal government to expand its network of electric vehicle charging stations.

Pat MaioAugust 27, 2024