Wyoming
Coal Production In Wyoming’s Powder River Basin Falls 21%
With the unveiling last week of new federal environmental rules that could accelerate the phasing out of coal-fired power plants by the early 2030s, signs of trouble ahead may already be emerging on the horizon for Wyoming’s coal industry.
First quarter data released Monday by the Wyoming State Geological Survey (WSGS) show coal production has slipped nearly 21% from the first quarter of 2023 when the Cowboy State dug up more than 58 million tons of coal out of the coal-rich Powder River Basin (PRB).
In the first three months of 2024, more than 46 million tons of coal was mined, according to the state data, a drop of more than a fifth.
Total employment in PRB mines stood at 4,103 workers at the end of the 2024 first quarter, down 101 jobs from the same year-ago period.
“Production is really down this quarter,” said WSGS Energy Minerals Geologist Kelsey Kehoe. “I wasn’t expecting to see such a large drop.”
Kehoe could not immediately explain the collapse in coal production in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin, which supplies roughly 40% of the nation’s thermal coal for coal-fired generation stations.
“It’s one of the largest percentage drops I’ve ever seen,” said Kehoe of the more than six years she’s been with WSGS.
The only other comparable quarterly drop in coal production came shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic locked down workplaces throughout the world in early 2020, she said.
At that time, quarterly production hit a low of 45.2 million tons produced in the second quarter of 2020, down 20% from the first quarter of that year and one of the lowest-producing quarters in many years, according to the WSGS data.
The 2024 first quarter drop in coal production is attributable to long-term structural challenges.
These include a mild winter, high inventories of coal stockpiled at coal-fired power plants run by electric utilities, and historically low prices for natural gas that have displaced coal for burning at power plants, explained Travis Deti, executive director of the Wyoming Mining Association.
“Gas prices have been stubbornly low,” Deti said. “We’re in one of those periods. These things go in cycles, and we’ll weather through this.”
The collapse in production comes just as coal-fired power plants across the United States, including in Wyoming, could close permanently within the next decade as a result of federal environmental rules released April 25 that significantly reduce pollutants emitted into the air and toxic wastes dumped into streams.
Litigation Coming
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon is threatening litigation to stop the federal government’s actions that he says could undermine the Cowboy State’s economy.
“The state will take legal action at an appropriate time,” said Michael Pearlman, a Gordon spokesman. “While that will likely be soon, I can’t provide a more detailed timeline.”
In Wyoming, the rules will hit many of the legacy coal-fired plants from Naughton and Bridger in the southwestern part of the state, to Dry Fork near Gillette and the Dave Johnston plant near Glenrock.
The rules represent a big economic hit to Wyoming’s Powder River Basin in the northeastern part of the state where more than 4,000 people are employed in the industry.
Just this month, the two largest coal operators in Wyoming have reported lower volumes coming out of the PRB.
St. Louis-based Arch Resources Inc. said April 25 that its 2024 first quarter performance fell short of expectations as thermal coal demands dipped from its PRB mines in northeastern Wyoming, with layoffs seen as a possibility.
Arch said that operations in the country’s largest coal producing region slipped into the red fiscally in the first quarter, principally due to competitive pressures from cheap natural gas and stockpiling of coal by utilities after a mild winter.
And St. Louis-based Peabody Coal Corp. said April 11 that it won’t hit financial guidance targets for its first quarter, partially in response to dismal coal production out of the PRB.
Peabody Coal expects to release first quarter results Thursday.
Peabody also cited lower coal shipments to coal-fired power plants on “unseasonably warm weather and continued low natural gas prices.”
Peabody said Thursday that coal volume fell to 18.7 million tons in the 2024 first quarter versus the 21 million tons that it forecast. A year ago, Peabody mined 21.9 million tons in its first quarter.
The coal mined in the first three months of 2024 is the lowest volume in Peabody’s first quarter since 2014.
Pat Maio can be reached at pat@cowboystatedaily.com.
LARAMIE — Wyoming, for now, has lost a dozen players this offseason to the transfer portal.
Dylan Warlick, a 6-foot-5, 180-pound incoming freshman at the forward spot, is the latest to enter free agency, announcing his decision Thursday night on social media.
“First, I would like to thank the University of Wyoming and the entire coaching staff for believing in me and giving me the chance to play the sport I love,” the Edmond, Okla., product penned on X, formerly Twitter. “With the recent departure of coach Linder, I have requested a release from my NLI and will be reopening my recruitment.”
The first wave of transfers came almost immediately following a one-and-done showing at the Mountain West Tournament.
Six, including potential faces-of-the-franchise Cam Manyawu and Keal Combs, announced their intentions to leave Laramie. Brendan Wenzel, a graduate transfer, bolted, too. So did Caden Powell, Jacob Theodosiou and Jonas Sirtautas.
For the second straight offseason, Jeff Linder was tasked with a near complete rebuild. That appeared to be going smoothly.
Wyoming’s fourth-year head coach snagged guards Obi Agbim, Tyree Ihenacho and Matija Belic. He then added a pair of big men out of the portal, too, in Yuto Yamanouchi-Williams and Touko Tainamo.
Four incoming freshmen were also inbound. That list featured guards Oliver Faubert, Dominic Pagonis and Jehvion Starwood, along with Warlick in the frontcourt.
Boy, have things changed.
News broke on May 9 that Linder would be leaving to become a top assistant on Grant McCasland’s staff at Texas Tech. Those two worked together once before in west Texas, coaching at Midland College from 2006-08.
Linder capped his tenure on the high plains with a 63-59 overall record. He led the Cowboys to an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament in 2022. They lost to Indiana in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.
With Linder’s departure came another mad dash to the portal.
Agbim hit the bricks. So did Ihenacho and Yamanouchi-Williams. Faubert and Pagonis also intend to play elsewhere. Now, so does Warlick, who was ranked the second-best recruit in the state of Oklahoma by 247sports.com. He helped lead Edmond North High School to consecutive state championships, averaging more than 20 points as a sophomore and 15.1 during his junior campaign.
Davidson, San Jose State, South Alabama and Abilene Christian all offered the 3-star prospect. Wyoming sealed the deal last November.
“We can’t wait to add Dylan Warlick to the Cowboy family,” Linder said in a prepared statement on national signing day. “Dylan has been on our radar for some time after a great underclassman career in Oklahoma high school basketball. Having won multiple state championships at Edmond North High School, in the highest classification in Oklahoma, we knew there was something special about his will to win and ability to effect winning. Two traits that cannot be discounted.
“We loved his ability to elevate not only himself but his teammates and program as well. Dylan also had much success on the Nike EYBL circuit with Team Griffin, where he competed at an elite level, game-in and game-out. Dylan brings a combination of toughness and skill to the wing position. He’s an exceptional scorer in the post and has a relentless mindset to rebound. His size and athleticism allow him to defend multiple positions and bring versatility to that end of the floor. We can’t wait for Dylan to bring his winning edge to Laramie in 2024.”
Or so we thought.
Warlick is the first player to announce his intentions to transfer since Sundance Wicks was officially hired May 12 as the 23rd head coach in Wyoming basketball history.
Here’s what Wyoming’s basketball roster looks like today:
F – Touko Tainamo (Denver)
G – Matija Belic (UC-Santa Barbara)
G – Jehvion Starwood *
F – Oleg Kojenets **
G – Kobe Newton **
G – Nigle Cook **
G – Levi Brown #
G – Cort Roberson #
* True freshman
* Returner
# Walk-on
Division-I programs are allowed up to 13 full-ride players on the roster. Wyoming now has seven available scholarships.
Wyoming’s current coaching staff, according to gowyo.com, includes:
Head coach – Sundance Wicks
Assistant – Nic Reynolds
Assistant – Nick Whitmore
Assistant – Shaun Vandiver
Assistant/ Director of Operations – Tim O’Flannigan
These are the players who have left the program since the conclusion of the 2023-24 season:
G – Brendan Wenzel (TCU)
G – Kael Combs (Drake)
F – Cam Manyawu (Drake)
G – Jacob Theodosiou (Loyola)
F – Jonas Sirtautas (Radford)
F – Caden Powell (Rice)
G – Tyree Ihenacho
G – Obi Agbim
G – Oliver Faubert
G – Dominic Pangonis
F – Yuto Yamanouchi-Williams
F – Dylan Warlick
UW: University of Wyoming Cowboys’ Greatest Games From the First Decade of the 2000’s
The 2024 Wyoming High School Softball State Championships began on Thursday with four first-round games. The East Conference swept the West Conference for the fourth straight year. Campbell County, Thunder Basin, Cheyenne East, and Laramie advanced in the winner’s bracket. Green River, Natrona County, Rock Springs, and Cody fell into the loser’s bracket.
Campbell County scored 7 runs in the first inning highlighted by an Avery Gray home run and rolled past Green River 16-1. Gray and two relief pitchers combined on a no-hitter. Cheyenne East outlasted Rock Springs, 11-7. Rylee Stephenson led the T-Birds with three hits & 4 RBIs. Laramie scored 2 runs on an RBI hit from Rachel Dean with 2 outs in the top of the 7th inning to beat Cody. The final was 6-5. Thunder Basin jumped out 8-0 on Natrona County, but the Fillies rallied within 8-7 after a 5-run 6th inning. The Bolts held on for a 9-7 victory. Natalie Clonch had 3 hits, including 1 home run, & 4 RBIs.
Day 2 has 8 games on the schedule. All but 3 teams will be eliminated. The first games are Campbell County against Cheyenne East and Thunder Basin vs. Laramie at 10 a.m. The first elimination games have Green River facing Rock Springs and Cody taking on Natrona County at noon.
We have some photos from Day 1 of the state tournament. We thank Carlee Howe for helping us with some of the pictures. Enjoy!
2024 Softball State Tournament Day 1
Photos from Day 1 of the 2024 Wyoming High School Softball State Championships
Gallery Credit: David Settle, WyoPreps.com; Courtesy: Carlee Howe
It is State Championship week for Wyoming High School soccer. The season’s culminating event will be in Green River and Rock Springs on May 16-18, 2024. Four teams will earn a state championship by the end of Saturday. Class 3A matches are at the turf fields at Green River High School and Lincoln Middle School. Turf fields at Rock Springs High School and Rock Springs Junior High are being utilized to host 4A matches for the three-day event.
The defending champions are the Cody girls and Worland boys in Class 3A, and the Kelly Walsh girls and Thunder Basin boys in Class 4A.
2024 WYOMING HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, MAY 16:
Final Score: (3W) Powell 3 (2E) Worland 1
Final Score: (1W) Cody 7 (4E) Rawlins 0
Final Score: (2W) Lander 3 (3E) Buffalo 1 – OT
Final Score: (1E) Douglas 6 (4W) Green River 0
FRIDAY, MAY 17:
Game 5: Worland vs. Rawlins, 9 a.m. (GRHS) – the loser is eliminated
Game 6: Buffalo vs. Green River, 9 a.m. (Lincoln MS) – the loser is eliminated
Game 7: Powell vs. Cody, 2 p.m. (GRHS) – semifinal
Game 8: Lander vs. Douglas, 2 p.m. (Lincoln MS) – semifinal
SATURDAY, MAY 18:
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 9 a.m. (GRHS) – Consolation Trophy Game
Game 10: Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 9 a.m. (Lincoln MS) – 3rd Place Game
Game 11: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 1 p.m. (Lincoln MS) – Championship Game
THURSDAY, MAY 16:
Final Score: (3W) Riverton 2 (2E) Thunder Basin 1
Final Score: (1W) Jackson 3 (4E) Cheyenne East 2
Final Score: (2W) Kelly Walsh 4 (3E) Campbell County 3
Final Score: (1E) Laramie 7 (4W) Natrona County 0
FRIDAY, MAY 17:
Game 5: Thunder Basin vs. Cheyenne East, 9 a.m. (RSJH) – the loser is eliminated
Game 6: Campbell County vs. Natrona County, 9 a.m. (RSHS) – the loser is eliminated
Game 7: Riverton vs. Jackson, 2 p.m. (RSJH) – semifinal
Game 8: Kelly Walsh vs. Laramie, 2 p.m. (RSHS) – semifinal
SATURDAY, MAY 18:
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 9 a.m. (RSJH) – Consolation Trophy Game
Game 10: Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 9 a.m. (RSHS) – 3rd Place Game
Game 11: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 1 p.m. (RSHS) – Championship Game
THURSDAY, MAY 16:
Final Score: (3W) Lander 4 (2E) Worland 3 [Tigers win the SO, 5-4]
Final Score: (1W) Cody 6 (4E) Douglas 0
Final Score: (2W) Green River 2 (3E) Buffalo 1
Final Score: (1E) Torrington 4 (4W) Powell 1
FRIDAY, MAY 17:
Game 5: Worland vs. Douglas, 11 a.m. (GRHS) – the loser is eliminated
Game 6: Buffalo vs. Powell, 11 a.m. (Lincoln MS) – the loser is eliminated
Game 7: Lander vs. Cody, 4 p.m. (GRHS) – semifinal
Game 8: Green River vs. Torrington, 4 p.m. (Lincoln MS) – semifinal
SATURDAY, MAY 18:
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 11 a.m. (GRHS) – Consolation Trophy Game
Game 10: Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 11 a.m. (Lincoln MS) – 3rd Place Game
Game 11: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 3 p.m. (Lincoln MS) – Championship Game
THURSDAY, MAY 16:
Final Score: (2E) Sheridan 1 (3W) Rock Springs 0
Final Score: (1W) Jackson 4 (4E) Cheyenne East 0
Final Score: (2W) Kelly Walsh 7 (3E) Thunder Basin 0
Final Score: (1E) Cheyenne Central 3 (4W) Natrona County 1
FRIDAY, MAY 17:
Game 5: Rock Springs vs. Cheyenne East, 11 a.m. (RSJH) – the loser is eliminated
Game 6: Thunder Basin vs. Natrona County, 11 a.m. (RSHS) – the loser is eliminated
Game 7: Sheridan vs. Jackson, 4 p.m. (RSJH) – semifinal
Game 8: Kelly Walsh vs. Cheyenne Central, 4 p.m. (RSHS) – semifinal
SATURDAY, MAY 18:
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 11 a.m. (RSJH) – Consolation Trophy Game
Game 10: Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 11 a.m. (RSHS) – 3rd Place Game
Game 11: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 3 p.m. (RSHS) – Championship Game
2023 Wyoming High School Soccer State Championship Matches
Photos from the 2023 Wyoming High School Soccer State Championship matches in Green River and Rock Springs.
Gallery Credit: David Settle, WyoPreps.com
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