Energy
News
Platte County Recommends Rezoning Private Ranchland For Proposed Data Center
A proposal that could bring a utility-scale data center to more than 5,300 acres of private ranchland near the Platte and Goshen county line cleared another hurdle Wednesday, with a unanimous vote to recommend rezoning the property for industrial use.
Kate MeadowsAugust 27, 2026
400 Southwest Wyoming Trona Mining Jobs On Hold As China Floods Soda Ash Market
About 400 jobs are on hold as Pacific Soda seeks to push back the start of its proposed $6 billion Dry Creek Trona Project in southwest Wyoming a year. The company is blaming China's flooding of the soda ash market and permit delays.
Renée JeanAugust 27, 2026
Chevron Plans To Blow Up Wind Turbines With Explosives This Week Near Casper
Residents could notice a brief loud noise and temporary vibration when Chevron uses explosives later this week to remove 11 defunct wind turbines outside of Casper. The fire department says portions of the base will be blown up to bring down the towers.
Clair McFarlandAugust 26, 2026
Prometheus Pushes Ahead On $32B Wyoming Data Centers As Legal Challenge Fades
Prometheus Hyperscale is pressing ahead with a massive data center near Evanston after a judge tossed opponents’ bid for an administrative review. Company officials say the $32 billion investment could boost county tax revenues by about 70%.
Renée JeanAugust 25, 2026
Developers Now Targeting Public Lands To Build Huge AI Data Centers
Wyoming is courting massive AI data center projects, but so far none have been proposed for the state's 30 million acres of public lands. But a fight in Nevada is raising questions about building data centers on public lands.
Kate MeadowsAugust 24, 2026
Why America’s Energy Grid Has To Change — And What It Means For Wyoming
To the “tech bros,” the future is simple. Either America rebuilds its energy grid fast, or it will hand the coming AI revolution — and the billions in economic impact that comes with it — to foreign countries, some of whom aren’t America’s friends.
Renée JeanAugust 22, 2026
Wyoming 'Future-Proofs' Oil And Gas Industry With Nation's First Bonding Pool
On the heels of a Biden administration proposal to raise oil and gas bonding requirements by 1,900%, Wyoming is creating the nation’s first state-backed bonding pool to shield independent producers. "We're not on defense now," an industry spokesman said.
Renée JeanAugust 21, 2026
Plan For Data Center Puts Spotlight On Lax Fremont County Zoning Laws
A small data center is taking shape in Fremont County, but officials there say they don't know much about the project and aren't sure just how much regulatory power they'll have. Fremont has some of Wyoming’s most permissive zoning laws.
Kate MeadowsAugust 19, 2026
Defunct For Years, 'Eyesore' Casper Wind Farm Turbines Finally Coming Down
The 11 turbines at the Casper Wind Farm north of Evansville are finally coming down after years of inactivity. There were high hopes for the turbines when commissioned in 2009, but a former county commissioner now calls them an "eyesore."
Dale KillingbeckAugust 19, 2026
Huge 500-MW Solar Project Wants To Build Natural Gas Power Plant Near Glenrock
At 500 megawatts, the Dutchman Solar Project under development in Converse County would be Wyoming’s second largest. Now the Florida-based company behind it also wants to build a natural gas power plant near Glenrock.
Kate MeadowsAugust 06, 2026
Wyoming’s First Nickel Discovery Heads Into High-Tech, High-Stakes Drilling Phase
Armed with new technology and a major mining partner, Visionary Metals is ready to probe just how big — and how valuable — a nickel discovery at Jeffrey City is. If realized, it will be a first of its kind in the Western U.S. since the 1940s.
Renée JeanAugust 06, 2026
Judge Who Tossed Oil And Gas Leases Declines To Let New Case Move To Wyoming
A Montana U.S. District Court Judge who threw out 1.5 million acres of Wyoming oil and gas leases due to sage-grouse concerns has declined a request to send a newer case to Wyoming. "Wyoming provides no authority” for its argument, he wrote.
Clair McFarlandAugust 04, 2026
If It’s Easier To Lease Federal Coal, Will Wyoming Producers Bid For Them?
The future of Wyoming coal might depend less on availability than on whether companies believe there is enough demand to justify bidding for new leases. “It may be too little, too late,” says an economist about making it easier to lease federal coal.
Kate MeadowsAugust 03, 2026
Wyoming Congressional Delegation Silent On Peabody's Move To Cut Retirement Benefit
As Peabody Energy has slashed the health benefits for retired Wyoming coal mine workers, the state’s congressional delegation has so far been silent. Retirees wonder why it can afford to pay its CEO $9 million last year but not their promised benefits.
Kate MeadowsJuly 30, 2026
Park County Commission Says Data Centers Not Imminent And Residents Are '100% No'
Park County commissioners say geography and other factors mean data centers aren't imminent, but they want to have regulations in place if or when the industry does arrive. Meanwhile, Park residents are telling them they are "100% no" on data centers.
Kate MeadowsJuly 30, 2026
Man Camps Moving Forward As Uinta And Lincoln Counties Build, Build, Build
Potential man camps in neighboring Uinta and Lincoln counties are moving forward. Kemmerer cleared zoning for a workforce housing site for a nuclear power plant, while Uinta County is a step closer to a 3,400-bed camp for a hyperscale data center.
Kate MeadowsJuly 28, 2026
Retired Peabody Energy Employees Feel Betrayed By Cancellation Of Medical Benefits
Retired Wyoming employees of Peabody Energy say they feel betrayed by its decision to end a medical retirement benefits program. "I never missed a day," said Douglas' Jim Allington. The company says the program no longer fits "market competitive practices."
Kate MeadowsJuly 27, 2026
‘Rain Makers’ Say They Can Boost Wyoming’s Water Supply, Wyo Lawmakers Want Proof
A Colorado “rain maker” company claims it has used electricity to boost water supplies in two western states by 10-15% and can do it for Wyoming if lawmakers don't conflate their methods with cloud seeding. Two legislators say they want proof first.
Mark HeinzJuly 24, 2026
Ranchlands Near Wheatland Eyed For $26 Billion 'Transformational' Data Center
A company called Site Layer 4 wants to rezone 5,344 acres of ranchland near Wheatland for a data center and power plant. The project, they say, adds 300 jobs and substantial tax revenue, but neighbors worry about water, wildlife and the viewshed.
Renée JeanJuly 13, 2026
Could Data Center Jobs Stop Young Adults From Leaving Wyoming?
As Wyoming watches up to 70% of its young adults leave by age 30, a Cheyenne native’s path at Microsoft shows how data center jobs could help reverse the state’s biggest export — it’s own people. Tommy Martin returned home a decade ago and built a career.
Renée JeanJuly 10, 2026
Second Half Of Smarter Keystone XL Oil Pipeline Proposed, From Guernsey To Oklahoma
A new crude oil pipeline proposed between Guernsey and Oklahoma that could carry up to 1.3 million barrels of crude per day would strengthen Wyoming’s role as a key crossroads. A national analyst said Guernsey is the Rocky Mountain's "most important hub."
Renée JeanJuly 10, 2026
Say Hello To Google, The Mystery Owner Behind Wyoming's Largest Data Center Project
The 2.7-gigawatt data center once called Project Jade 8 miles south of Cheyenne has been unmasked as a massive Google campus. Google’s project, according to planning documents, will be a 716-acre campus in the Switchgrass Industrial Park.
Renée JeanJuly 08, 2026
Data Centers Test Wyoming’s Promise Not To ‘Piss Away’ The Next Boom
The old Wyoming bumper sticker reads, “Dear God give me one more boom and I promise not to piss it all away next time.” Data centers may just be that next boom. So, how far to go in courting prosperity without losing the things that make Wyoming, Wyoming?
Renée JeanJuly 06, 2026
Jeffrey City’s Second Act: From Near Uranium Ghost Town To Jade Comeback
Known for uranium and then near-abandonment, Jeffrey City is getting a second look from a Canadian geologist who says new science — and evolving markets — could turn Wyoming’s deposits of jade into a new industry for the tiny almost-ghost town.
Renée JeanJuly 05, 2026