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Pat Maio

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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

An Energy Fuels complex in Utah. The company is ramping up production at its Nichols Ranch development in Wyoming.

Energy Fuels Wants To Use Wyoming Uranium For Cancer Treatments

Energy Fuels, on track to become a key Wyoming uranium producer, is extending its reach for the mineral. The company has expanded into using Wyoming uranium to produce medical isotopes for cancer treatments.

Pat MaioAugust 27, 2024

Mark Gabriel, president and CEO of Brighton, Colorado-based United Power Inc., stands in front of the headquarters building of his rural electricity cooperative. Gabriel led the breakaway of United Power from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association in May.

United Power Growing After Severing Ties With Tri-State Generation

Colorado’s United Power Inc. was the largest Tri-State Generation member until it paid $702 million to break away on its own. Now it’s growing as other Tri-State members watch.

Pat MaioAugust 26, 2024

Ryan Bogers, co-owner of the Tongue River Marina in the Tongue River Reservoir State Park in southeastern Montana, stands along the burned area of the Barber Draw Fire that threatened his marina store and other buildings surrounding the reservoir.

Owners Of Montana’s Tongue River Marina 'Defeated' By Wildfire Damage

Wildfires in northern Wyoming and southern Montana have burned more than 400,000 acres. They’ve also left ranchers and small businesses like Tongue River Marina wrecked financially and worried about the future.

Pat MaioAugust 25, 2024

Vic Goni, a sheep rancher, near the area where his sheep normally graze. On Thursday, firefighters arrived on the plains behind him to extinguish the House Draw Fire off Buffalo Sussex Cutoff Road.

Wyoming Sheep Ranchers Scramble To Save Flocks From 175,000-Acre House Draw Fire

Wyoming’s rural sheep industry was nearly destroyed when the House Draw Fire exploded to 175,000 acres, killing some sheep. Ranchers scrambled to save what they could. Now they have to find winter feed for those that survived.

Pat MaioAugust 24, 2024

A wall of smoke rises from the edge of the House Draw Fire in this image shared by Triple Three Outfitters.

Wyoming Ranchers Watch As 175,000-Acre Wildfire Burns Through Fences And Hay

About 150 firefighters started in Buffalo, Wyoming, early Friday morning to battle the House Draw Fire, which has burned about 175,000 acres.

Pat MaioAugust 23, 2024

The Black Thunder coal mine in Campbell County, Wyoming, is one of the largest and most productive in the world.

Arch May Speed Up Sale Of Legacy Wyoming Coal Mines Under $5B Merger

Arch Resources announced a $5 billion merger with Consol Energy on Wednesday. That also may mean speeding up the company’s plans to sell its Wyoming coal mines.

Pat MaioAugust 22, 2024

A large coal shovel fills a haul truck at the North Antelope Rochelle Mine.

Huge Shakeup For Wyoming Coal: Arch To Merge, Peabody Sells 10% To Hedge Fund

In a huge shakeup for Wyoming's legacy coal industry, Arch announced a $5 billion merger Wednesday and a hedge fund has bought 10% of Peabody Energy. The companies represent more than half the coal production in the Powder River Basin.

Pat MaioAugust 21, 2024

A wind turbine graveyard near Sweetwater, Texas.

Why Old Wind Turbine Blades Aren’t Being Buried In Landfills Anymore

Until a few years ago, it was common for old wind turbine blades to be discarded in local landfills. That’s not happening much anymore as landfills require them to be ground up “into really tiny pieces,” which is expensive.

Pat MaioAugust 21, 2024

In a stunning defeat, Wyoming House Speaker Albert Sommers, who was first elected to the Legislature a dozen years ago, lost to Kemmerer resident Laura Taliaferro Pearson, who entered politics during the pandemic because of concerns over pandemic masking mandates.

Kemmerer Bus Driver Beats House Speaker Albert Sommers In Stunning Senate Race Upset

In a stunning defeat, Wyoming House Speaker Albert Sommers lost to Kemmerer resident Laura Taliaferro Pearson, in Senate District 14 which covers Sublette, Lincoln, Sweetwater and Uinta counties.

Pat MaioAugust 21, 2024

Mike Schmid Beats Cat Urbigkit In Highly-Watched Sublette County House Race

Mike Schmid, a La Barge oilman aligned with the Freedom Caucus, won the Republican primary against well-known rancher Cat Urbigkit in House District 20 of Sublette County.

Pat MaioAugust 21, 2024

State House Rep. Clark Stith, R-Rock Springs, left, campaigns in House District 48 in southwestern Wyoming on Tuesday morning.

Darin McCann Stuns Clark Stith in Upset Primary Race in Sweetwater County

Freedom Caucus contender Darin McCann, R-Rock Springs, beat State House Rep. Clark Stith in a stunning upset in the contentious Republican primary race in Sweetwater County.

Pat MaioAugust 21, 2024

Another Hedge Fund-Backed Producer Wants To Cash In On Wyoming’s Uranium Boom

Canada-based American Premium Uranium Inc., backed by a New Jersey-based hedge fund, has begun exploratory drilling on mining claims in the Red Desert. It’s part of a rush of companies looking to cash in on Wyoming’s uranium boom.

Pat MaioAugust 19, 2024

Tri-State’s Wyoming Co-ops United By Jitters Over Future Of Coal Plant

Tri-State Generation’s pivot away from fossil fuel-generated power has some of its members uneasy. In Wyoming, there’s concern over the future of the Laramie Station power plant.

Pat MaioAugust 17, 2024

Wyoming Turns Down $35 Million From Feds To Clean Up Orphan Wells

Wyoming doesn’t want the federal government’s $35 million to help plug orphan oil and gas wells. The Biden administration’s Interior Department offered $775 million to 21 energy states this week, but the Cowboy State won’t take it.

Pat MaioAugust 15, 2024

A large coal shovel works in the Black Thunder mine in Wyoming's Powder River Basin in this file photo.

U.S. Wind, Solar Produce More Power Than Coal Through July For First Time

For the first seven months of 2024, wind and solar alone produced more electricity than coal in the United States. That's a first, and comes as no surprise in Wyoming, which saw its coal production drop 25% in the first half of the year.

Pat MaioAugust 15, 2024

Christiansen Ranch is where Uranium Energy Corp. performs its mining operation. The water solution that collects the uranium from the wells at Christiansen Ranch is attached to ion exchange resin, or tiny plastic-like beads, at the satellite plant. The beads are then transported by tank trucks to the Irigaray central processing plant, located about 15 miles away.

Dormant For A Decade, Texas-Based Uranium Energy Corp. To Restart In Wyoming

Texas-based Uranium Energy Corp. had mothballed its uranium mining operations in Wyoming nearly a decade ago. It’s now the second major uranium producer in the state to restart mining and processing.

Pat MaioAugust 13, 2024

The Naughton Power Plant near Kemmerer, Wyoming.

Wyoming To Lead 17-State Lawsuit Against EPA Over Coal Ash Rules

Wyoming is taking the lead in a 17-state lawsuit against the EPA over is rules on coal ash produced by power plants. The rules will go into effect in November unless stopped.

Pat MaioAugust 12, 2024

Australia’s American Rare Earths Ltd. has created a 100%-owned, independent business unit, Wyoming Rare (USA) Inc., to attract more investors and accelerate its rare earths project, located north of Wheatland, Wyoming. The company has been testing for the size of the deposit and quality of its rare earths materials in an area north of Wheatland.

Wyoming Rare Earths Companies In Race To Start Producing

The Australian-based American Rare Earths Ltd. has restructured its Wyoming project to attract investment. With Wyoming becoming ground zero for U.S. rare earths, companies are in a race to be the first to start producing.

Pat MaioAugust 12, 2024

Ur-Energy’s in-situ mining field for uranium with water rigs set up in the background.

Hot Demand For Wyoming Uranium Has Hedge Funds, Other Investors Sniffing Around

Demand for Wyoming uranium has some big hedge funds and other investors sniffing around to buy in. They’re looking for opportunities to buy shares in uranium stocks that mine the ore needed as fuel for nuclear power plants.

Pat MaioAugust 09, 2024

The Craig Generating Station power plant in Craig, Colorado.

Rural Wyoming Co-ops To Get More Green Power From Colorado-Based Parent Company

Power cooperatives in a number of rural Wyoming communities will be getting more green energy. That’s the result of a major shift in policy and focus for their parent company, Colorado-based Tri-State Generation.

Pat MaioAugust 08, 2024

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, left, and Vice President Kamala Harris on Aug. 6, 2024, as Harris names Walz her running mate on the Democratic ticket for the 2024 presidential election.

Harris VP Pick "Horrible For America, Horrible For Wyoming," Wyo Mining Chief Says

As governor, Tim Walz placed his state on track to transition to "clean" energy even faster than California. Wyoming Mining Association President Travis Deti says Kamala Harris' VP pick is "horrible for America and horrible for Wyoming."

Pat MaioAugust 07, 2024

EV Registrations, Sales In Wyoming Grow Despite Big Auto Pullbacks

Electric vehicle sales and registrations are slowly growing in Wyoming, despite automakers pulling back on production. Cheyenne-based Domino’s pizza franchises have been purchasing Chevy Bolts for its delivery fleet and plan to buy more.

Pat MaioAugust 07, 2024

Ramaco Resources CEO Randall Atkins talks with Cowboy State Daily via Zoom.

Ramaco Hires Heavy Hitter To Push Production Plant For Wyoming Rare Earths

Ramaco Resources is closer to being able to start mining rare earth minerals in Wyoming. The company announced Tuesday that it’s hired a global engineering firm to push efforts to build a processing plant outside of Sheridan.

Pat MaioAugust 06, 2024

The hills were blackened by the Pleasant Valley Fire to the east of Wyoming 270 that runs from Guernsey to Hartville.

Firefighters Gain Upper Hand In Wyoming Wildfires That Have Burned 53,200 Acres

Emergency firefighters report making “good progress” on containing wildfires across Wyoming that have burned 53,200 acres. That includes getting about 90% containment of the Pleasant Valley Fire north of Guernsey.

Pat MaioAugust 06, 2024

A sign has been posted at the entrance to Hartville that thanks the hundreds of firefighters who saved their town from destruction by the Pleasant Valley Fire.

Recovery Begins At Hartville, The Historic Mining Town That Nearly Went Up In Flames

The historic mining town of Hartville, Wyoming, came within inches of going up in flames this past week. Folks are shell-shocked as they recover from a wildfire that turned much of the land around them into an apocalyptic nightmare.

Pat MaioAugust 06, 2024

The Wildcat Creek Fire southeast of Wright, Wyoming, has burned more than 17,000 acres and is about 30% contained, fire officials report.

New Fires Add To Wyoming’s Wildland Inferno, More Than 55,000 Acres Burned

A pair of wildfires in Campbell County blew up over the weekend to nearly 25,000 acres. That’s added to the nearly 30,000 acres burned north of Guernsey and about 1,800 acres in the rugged Shoshone National Forest in northwest Wyoming.

Pat MaioAugust 05, 2024

More than 200 people showed up at the Guernsey-Sunrise High School to hear Goshen and Platte County emergency officials update them on the latest with the Pleasant Valley Fire, which has burned more than 26,000 acres.

Evacuation Lifted For Pleasant Valley Fire, But Ranchers Worried For Cattle

More than 200 people showed up at the Guernsey-Sunrise High School late Saturday afternoon to discuss the latest on the Pleasant Valley Fire. During the briefing, Goshen and Platte County emergency officials lifted evacuation orders for the communities north of Guernsey.

Pat MaioAugust 04, 2024