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RJ
Business and Tourism Reporter

Renée Jean

Renée Jean is the business and tourism reporter for Cowboy State Daily and is based in Cheyenne. Previously, Renée spent seven years covering energy and agriculture in North Dakota and Montana. She has won many writing awards over a 30-year career, and has written magazine articles for Guideposts.

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Latest from Renée Jean

Wyoming’s already hot nuclear sector just went global, with Taiwan and Wyoming signing an agreement on modular nuclear reactors to serve the island’s surging, AI-driven demand.

Wyoming Uranium Industry Could Boom With Taiwan's Embrace Of Nuclear

Wyoming’s already hot nuclear sector just went global, with Taiwan and Wyoming signing an agreement on modular nuclear reactors to serve the island’s surging, AI-driven demand. "This deal bodes well for Wyoming," said Wyoming mining honcho Travis Deti.

Renée JeanMay 12, 2026

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Wyoming Man Hospitalized After Exposure To Fumes During Lithium-Ion Battery Fire

A Daniel, Wyoming man who narrowly averted a fire in his home last week after a lithium-ion battery spontaneously combusted, has landed in the hospital after inhaling fumes from the burning battery. "It literally blew up kind of in our faces," he said.

Renée JeanMay 12, 2026

A surge of as many as 70 proposed data centers converging on Cheyenne has prompted one councilman to propose a moratorium on new construction. However, “an outright moratorium or a ban, that’s not our way,” says Mayor Patrick Collins.

Cheyenne Residents Push For 12-Month Moratorium On Data Centers

A surge of as many as 70 proposed data centers converging on Cheyenne has rallied residents and a councilman to propose a 12-month moratorium on new construction. However, “an outright moratorium or a ban, that’s not our way,” says Mayor Patrick Collins.

Renée JeanMay 11, 2026

A dog named Charlie a Wyoming couple rescued from a California shelter running off with a whiteout blizzard on the way triggered a 24-hour search. It was a miracle, Charlie’s owners believe, that a newlywed couple in the middle of nowhere found him. 

Newlyweds On A Hike Find California Rescue Dog Lost In A Wyoming Whiteout

A couple in remote southeastern Wyoming thought they might never see their new rescue dog again after he disappeared in a spring snowstorm last week. But 24 hours later, a pair of newlyweds hiking through the area spotted the shivering dog and saved him.

Renée JeanMay 10, 2026

HistoriCorps staff and volunteers carrying a replacement sill log at Gillespie Place.

Saving The Forgotten 116-Year-Old Cabin Of Wyoming’s Copper Queen

The 116-year-old historic cabin of Sara Gillespie — aka Wyoming’s Copper Queen — was all but forgotten and crumbling until it was rediscovered in 2010. Now an urgent effort is underway to save what was known a century ago as “Gillespie Palace."

Renée JeanMay 09, 2026

As the state’s data center industry booms, Wyomingites want to know where the water is coming from. The  Select Water Committee dove into that Thursday, as critics clashed over property rights, supply, and impacts for one of the nation’s driest states. Above, work continues Friday, May 8, 2026, at the site of a Meta data center being built in south Cheyenne.

As Data Centers Boom, Wyomingites Want To Know Where The Water’s Coming From

As the state’s data center industry booms, Wyomingites want to know where the water is coming from. The  Select Water Committee dove into that Thursday, as critics clashed over property rights, supply, and impacts for one of the nation’s driest states.

Renée JeanMay 08, 2026

Tourism spending overall is up in Thermopolis, but short-term rental owners say the Star Plunge closure has gutted their bookings for a second summer. "We know it’s closed, so we’re just not going up there,” a potential visitor told a local Airbnb owner.

For Second Summer, Star Plunge Closure Kills Short-Term Bookings In Thermopolis

Tourism spending overall is up in Thermopolis, but short-term rental owners say the Star Plunge closure has gutted their bookings for a second summer. "We know it’s closed, so we’re just not going up there,” a potential visitor told a local Airbnb owner.

Renée JeanMay 07, 2026

Gas pipeline construction Jim Parkin via Alamy 5 6 26

Bridger Oil Pipeline Filling Fast, Has Commitments To Move 400,000 Barrels A Day

Bridger Pipeline says it already has commitments for around 400,000 barrels per day of crude oil. That’s roughly 89% of the volume the company has said it needs to green-light construction of the 650-mile pipeline which would terminate in Guernsey.

Renée JeanMay 07, 2026

James Morey, Jr. and Diana Gunderson hold up an identical battery pack (left) to the one that blew up and caught fire (upper right and lower right).

"It Just Blew Up": Wyoming Couple Jolted Awake When Lithium-Ion Battery Catches Fire

A lithium-ion battery caught fire at a Daniel couple’s home as they were waking up on Tuesday. “The flames, my God, I couldn’t believe it,” Jack Morey said. “It just blew up and shot flames I’d say about a foot up.” 

Renée JeanMay 06, 2026

BWXT has lined up a buyer as its first customer for the $500 million TRISO nuclear fuel plant it’s building in Gillette. “Once you have a licensed nuclear facility, it’s a very powerful asset,” a company official said about potential for more customers.

BWXT Has First Customer, Partner For Its $500 Million Nuclear Fuel Plant In Gillette

BWXT has lined up its first customer for the $500 million TRISO nuclear fuel plant it’s building in Gillette. “Once you have a licensed nuclear facility, it’s a very powerful asset,” a company official said about the potential for more customers.

Renée JeanMay 06, 2026

A formerly Chinese-owned cryptocurrency mining operation that was built about a mile from F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne. In May 2024, President Joe Biden by executive order forced the Chinese-owned company to sell it.

Some Claim Foreign 'Dark Money' Is Funding Anti-Data Center Sentiment Across U.S.

A new study traces $39 million in foreign funding behind anti-data center campaigns across the U.S. Betsey Hale, the CEO of Cheyenne Leads, is concerned about it. "No one has complained about data centers until about the last month and a half,” she said.

Renée JeanMay 05, 2026

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Rocky Mountain Power Joins Western Energy Market, Says It Could Lower Rates

After years of steep rate hikes in response to higher-than-expected energy costs, Rocky Mountain Power has joined a regional Western market to buy power. "Potentially, it could lower costs for Wyoming customers,” says state Sen. Cale Case about the deal.

Renée JeanMay 05, 2026

Other Authors

With dozens of Cheyenne-Area data centers in various stages of discussion — one city councilman put the number at as many as 70 — some residents want to hit the brakes. A petition is circulating, calling for a data center moratorium. Above is Microsoft's data center in the Cheyenne Business Parkway business park in east Cheyenne in a file photo.

With Up To 70 Cheyenne-Area Data Centers In The Works, Petition Calls For Pause

With dozens of Cheyenne-Area data centers in various stages of discussion — one city councilman put the number at as many as 70 — some residents want to hit the brakes. A petition is circulating, calling for a data center moratorium.

Renée JeanMay 04, 2026

UplinkRobotics is the result of four University of Wyoming students who leveraged imagination and technology to create a company that's revolutionizing the inspection industry with some pretty cool robots.

Entrepreneurs Say It's Easier To Do Business In Wyoming

The business community is bullish on Wyoming as the state is seeing more start-ups and venture capital deals — even without data centers. “Things are easier to do in Wyoming versus the rest of the world," said one business owner who relocated here.

Renée JeanMay 03, 2026

Enrico Negrello owns Pertech in Wyoming, but has been quietly working behind the scenes to take his business in new directions. That includes the Bio Chest, a device that can detect your heart attack before you do.

Riverton Inventor Building Device That Can See Your Heart Attack Coming

An accomplished inventor living in Riverton is building a wearable medical device that can see your heart attack coming before it happens. “You wear it as a patch … I don’t even feel it,” he says about the Bio Chest, which also can alert doctors.

Renée JeanMay 03, 2026

Alex Petrovic helped the University of Wyoming to land one of only three super magnets of its kind in the United States that will power up advanced research on rare earths and trona. It’s a high-tech testbed that can push matter to extremes that ordinary magnets can’t touch. 

Wyoming Lands Rare Super Magnet To Power Up Advanced Rare Earths Research

Wyoming has landed one of only three super magnets of its kind in the U.S. that will power up advanced research on rare earths and trona. It's a room-sized contraption that can generate a magnetic field a million times stronger than Earth’s.

Renée JeanMay 03, 2026

Jackson and Teton County is the undisputed king of Wyoming tourism, but even Torrington officials are stunned but the town’s 97% spike in visitors. Much of that is driven by archaeology, while other small Wyoming towns are showing similar trends.

Rural Tourism: Torrington’s Short-Term Rentals Take 97% Leap, Other Small Towns Spike Too

Teton County is the king of Wyoming tourism, but rural Wyoming towns are showing a spike in visitors. Torrington officials are stunned by the town’s 97% increase in visitors — much of that driven by archaeology. Rawlins and Powell are seeing it too.

Renée JeanMay 02, 2026

James Cary Lambert learned a lot during his 33-year career as a UPS driver. Chiefly, that the little things matter, and people are more important than packages.

Wyoming Jobs: What James Lambert Has Learned After Driving A UPS Truck For 33 Years

For 33 years, UPS driver James Lambert has delivered much more than boxes on his UPS route, the last 15 in a remote section of Laramie County. He’s turned a sometimes rough-and-tumble job into friendships, snowy rescues, and laughter-filled memories.

Renée JeanMay 02, 2026

In Wyoming, cattle outnumber people, but the number of veterinarians treating food animals has shrunk by about 90% since World War II, and only 5% of new vets are interested in the job. That puts Wyoming’s, and the nation’s, food supply at risk.

Wyoming In Dire Need Of Large-Animal Veterinarians

In Wyoming, cattle outnumber people, but the number of veterinarians treating them has shrunk by 90% since World War II, and only 5% of new vets are interested in the job. One vet in Wheatland said desperate ranchers outside his area are "begging for help."

Renée JeanMay 02, 2026

The maker of an AI-powered robot chef that will cook for you wants to move its manufacturing to Cheyenne. Once you load the robot with ingredients, it will drop them into the pan, stir and cook according to an app-driven recipe.

Founder Of Robot Chef Wants To Move Manufacturing From China To Cheyenne

The maker of an AI-powered robot chef that will cook for you wants to move its manufacturing from China to Cheyenne. Once you load the robot with ingredients, it will drop them into the pan, stir and cook according to an app-driven recipe.

Renée JeanMay 02, 2026

President Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, April 30, 2026

Economist: Trump Pipeline OK Could Mean High-Paying Jobs, Big Tax Revenues For Wyoming

Wyoming economist Rob Godby says the state could gain new jobs and increased tax revenue after Trump's approval of the Bridger Pipeline carrying Canadian crude through Crook, Weston, Niobrara, Goshen, and Platte counties. “Pipelines aren’t minor,” he said.

Renée JeanMay 01, 2026

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