Energy

A daylong power outage shut down businesses and government in Cokeville for much of Tuesday, but it couldn’t halt a weekly seniors dice game moved beneath the shade trees. "I just tried to make the best of the situation," one senior center staffer said.

Lengthy Power Outage Darkens Cokeville, Disrupts Businesses And Seniors

The power went out across Cokeville on Tuesday, forcing the Town Hall to close and disrupting business during an extended outage. At the local senior center, "I just tried to make the best of the situation," said a staffer.

Kolby FedoreJune 16, 2026

Drilling hands prepare to tighten 10-inch metal pipe casing that will be connected and fitted into a drilled well in Wyoming's northeastern Powder River Basin south of Gillette in this file photo.

Montana Judge Tosses 1.5M Acres Of Wyoming Oil And Gas Leases, Costs State $50M

A federal judge in Montana has thrown out more than 1.5 million acres of Wyoming oil and gas leases sold under the Trump administration, forcing the state to return $50 million in payments. “The environmental group found a sympathetic venue in Montana,” said a Wyoming landman.

Renée JeanJune 16, 2026

Albany County Extends Permit For Rail Tie Wind Project Despite Opposition

Rail Tie, one of Wyoming’s most controversial wind projects, got a new five-year extension from Albany County on Tuesday. The company is “fishing to keep the project alive,” said the lone commissioner to vote against the extension.

Kate MeadowsJune 16, 2026

Not In Our Backyard: Rural Cheyenne Residents Don’t Want Black Hills Gas Plant

A rural neighborhood north of Cheyenne told Black Hills Energy it doesn't want a planned natural gas power plant during "a very contentious” local-only meeting this week. “The only reason you’d do that is to put a data center there,” said one resident.

Renée JeanJune 10, 2026

Mayor Patrick Collins talks about why Board of Public Utilities actually needs to sell more water.

Cheyenne Leaders, Industry Officials: Data Centers Could Lower Electricity Costs

At a panel discussion on Saturday, Cheyenne leaders and industry officials said data centers are already helping stabilize electric rates and are opening new land for housing. But skeptics still aren’t buying it.

Renée JeanJune 08, 2026

An oilman who operates in Wyoming says one BLM signature has stalled two of his Powder River Basin wells, costing him $2 million a day. Across the state, the signature has stalled more than 1,300 federal leases covering 1.2 million acres.

Oilman Says BLM Delay Stalls His Powder River Basin Oil Wells — And 1,323 Statewide

Oilman Howard Cooper says an unsigned BLM analysis is holding up his Powder River Basin oil wells. It's also stalled more than 1,300 other leases, says the Petroleum Association of Wyoming. "It’s always next week, and next week never comes,” Cooper said.

Renée JeanJune 06, 2026

Kelsey Stephens was among ranching family members speaking out against a "wind wall" in southeastern Wyoming that stretches from Casper to Cheyenne and beyond.

Wyoming Ranchers Rally Against 'Wind Wall' Of Turbines Across The State

Wyoming ranchers rallied at the state Capitol on Thursday demanding action against what they call a “wind wall” of turbines across the state. “We’ve got surrounded by wind farms,” said one rancher about wind power and its impact on Wyoming’s rural future.

Renée JeanJune 04, 2026

EPA Region 8 administrator and former Wyoming legislator Cyrus Western called Thursday's announcement a win for Wyoming.

EPA Announces Push To Rescue Dave Johnston Coal Plant Near Glenrock

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it is proposing a rule to change an Obama-era 2014 Wyoming regional haze plan that would have shuttered the Dave Johnston Unit 3 power plant in Converse County.

Clair McFarlandJune 04, 2026

Work is underway on the TerraPower nuclear power plant and its other facilities near Kemmerer, Wyoming.

Kemmerer Plans For Man Camp To House 1,600 TerraPower Nuclear Plant Workers

Developers are making proposals to build a man camp for the up to 1,600 workers who will build the TerraPower nuclear power plant near Kemmerer. “It’s more than just a man camp. It’s like a little city within a city,” said the mayor.

Kate MeadowsMay 29, 2026

Microsoft built Cheyenne’s first data center.

Weeks After Unveiling 3,200-Acre Data Center Expansion, Microsoft Adds Another 420

Just weeks after unveiling a 3,200-acre data center expansion around Cheyenne, Microsoft is adding two more parcels totaling 420 acres. The move comes amid a deepening debate over data centers, growth, and water.

Renée JeanMay 29, 2026

"We Need People Working": Wyoming Waits On BLM Reinforcements As Permits Back Up

As new BLM Director Steve Pearce begins work, energy leaders say staffing shortages are top priority. “We need people working on permits,” Wyoming mining honcho Travis Deti said. Without renewed leases, coal companies can lose access to federally leased reserves.

Kate MeadowsMay 25, 2026

Emotions were mixed for the 450-MW Chugwater Energy Project before getting its final unanimous approval from Platte County on Wednesday, May 20. 2026. “If people really didn’t want wind turbines they should have bought” the land, one of the 30 project landowners said.

Huge Chugwater Wind And Solar Project Gets Final Unanimous OK From Platte County

Emotions were mixed for the 450-MW Chugwater Energy Project before getting its final unanimous approval from Platte County on Wednesday. “If people really didn’t want wind turbines they should have bought” the land, one of the 30 project landowners said.

Kate MeadowsMay 21, 2026

Workers erect a tower to string power transmission lines in this image from Rocky Mountain Power.

Rocky Mountain Power Says 8.8% Rate Hike Request Not Because Of Data Centers

Rocky Mountain Power is asking Wyoming regulators for another rate hike prompted by rising costs, this time for 8.8%, the company announced Wednesday. “None of the increases ... have anything to do with data centers,” the company says.

Kate MeadowsMay 14, 2026

How Russia Controlled A Huge Chunk Of Wyoming Uranium, And How Wyoming Got It Back

Russia’s state-run nuclear company owned Wyoming uranium assets until 2021. How that happened remains murky, wrapped in closed federal reviews. “No one knows how they got permits,” says the CEO of the U.S. company that eventually bought out the Russians.

Renée JeanMay 14, 2026

Quality Technology Services data center Georgia Elijah Nouvelage Bloomberg via Getty Images 5 13 26

Georgia 30 Million Gallon Water Grab Puts Cheyenne Data Centers Under New Scrutiny

When a Georgia data center quietly drew 30 million gallons of water during a drought, no one noticed until residents’ water pressure dropped. This controversy is causing concern in Cheyenne where 70-some data centers are in various stages of discussion.

Renée JeanMay 14, 2026

Paul Norfleet, a sheep rancher who recently moved to Chugwater, spoke about the challenges of farming and said NextEra's Chugwater Energy Project would allow his ranch to make some money. That revenue, he said, would go toward regenerating the land.

450-MW Chugwater Wind And Solar Project Gets Unanimous OK From County Planners

A huge wind and solar project near Chugwater to generate 450 megawatts of wind and solar power was unanimously approved Wednesday by Platte County planners. "I want to be able to earn some money off my land,” said one rancher in support of the plan.

Kate MeadowsMay 13, 2026

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

A plan to build Wyoming’s first subscription-based solar project is on hold, but isn’t dead, says Lower Valley Energy CEO Bear Prairie. The co-op is now focusing on communicating with customers while pursuing a piece of state-owned land near a garbage dump, he says.

CEO Says Plan For Wyoming’s First Subscription-Based Solar Project Isn't Dead

A plan to build Wyoming’s first subscription-based solar project is on hold, but isn’t dead, says Lower Valley Energy’s CEO. The co-op is now focusing on communicating with customers while pursuing a piece of state-owned land near a garbage dump, he says.

Kate MeadowsMay 11, 2026

Gillette-based L&H Industrial has been making machines for the coal industry for decades and is a partner in fast-tracking building nuclear reactors in Wyoming. Co-owner Mike Wandler says the state can be the world’s hub for building reactors and making fuel for them.

L&H Industrial Owner Says Wyoming Can Be World’s Hub For Building Nuclear Reactors

In Mike Wandler’s 40 years of working in the energy industry, he’s never seen a manufacturing sector that Wyoming can dominate. Until now. The co-owner of Gillette's L&H Industrial, says the state can be the world’s hub for building nuclear reactors.

Julie MankinMay 09, 2026

Public Outcry Kills Wyoming’s First Community Solar Farm Project

A proposed solar farm that would’ve been Wyoming’s first community-scale project was killed by Lincoln County officials this week. Lincoln County residents objected to plans for the solar farm being built there to benefit Teton County residents.

Kate MeadowsMay 08, 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

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

At the Robert W. Scherer Electric Generating Plant, one of the largest coal-fired power plants in North America, a unit once scheduled to retire by 2028, will now remain in operation.

Coal Plants Across Nation Get Second Life Due To Data Center Growth

Wyoming coal is getting an unexpected lift as rising electricity demand, driven in part by data centers, is forcing utilities to keep coal-fired power plants online longer than planned. Aging plants once slated for retirement are getting a second life.

Kate MeadowsMay 05, 2026

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

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