Wyoming’s top politicians have heaped praise on President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” for giving the state’s flagging fossil fuel industries a boost. They’ve also taken swipes at past congressional efforts to support wind and solar — the cheapest and fastest-growing energy sector in the nation, including in the Equality State, federal data shows.

While promoting coal, oil and natural gas via tax breaks, the bill includes several punishing policies for wind and solar: chiefly, a much quicker phase out of tax credits that industry experts say will jeopardize hundreds of projects. The result will be higher electric bills and unfulfilled job growth in a stunted electrical power sector, according to initial reactions and analysis in the industry.

“Today’s Congressional action is a dramatic swing in federal policy, disrupting the good faith investments of American companies that are powering our economy and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs,” American Clean Power Association CEO Jason Grumet said in a prepared statement.

Such grim predictions apply to Wyoming, where electricity customers may experience a 29% increase over the next decade, according to one analysis. There are also several wind and solar developers in the state who were counting on the tax credits for a longer period. How many of those projects might squeak forward and how many may fall by the wayside is difficult to say. But some industry watchers, and politicians, in Wyoming warn that the long-term implications will not be good for ratepayers or local governments.

“There’s a clear intent to shut down the renewable sector in the [One Big Beautiful Bill Act],” Laramie Democratic Sen. Chris Rothfuss told WyoFile. “While there’s a lot of visceral disdain for the renewable sector among many residents and many legislators, the reality is it’s an important part of our economy and an important part of our forward-looking economy.”

Others suggest there’s more support for renewable energy in Wyoming than people may realize. 

Wyoming Outdoor Council Energy and Climate Associate Jonathan Williams said he joined several city council members and other local officials from Wyoming on a recent trip to Washington, D.C. They implored congressional representatives to maintain support for clean energy, including programs that help municipalities, schools and small businesses cut costs via energy audits and solar panel installation. 

Local governments in Wyoming increasingly want to cut their energy costs, Williams noted, yet all of the programs are on shaky ground.

“I think that’s a loss when we’re thinking about, ‘What does this mean for ratepayers, or for businesses, or for investment in our state that we need for keeping our state attractive to young people?’” Williams said. “I don’t know how many people are moving here for coal jobs when the market is deciding it doesn’t want coal.”

Disappearing tax credits

The Trump administration is moving swiftly to strip clean electricity tax credits for wind and solar projects following passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The president signed an executive order Monday directing the Treasury Department to “strictly enforce the termination of the clean electricity production and investment tax credits under sections 45Y and 48E of the Internal Revenue Code for wind and solar facilities.” 

For the most part, projects must begin construction before July 4, 2026 and be operational by the end of 2027, shaving several years off the previous eligibility timeline. 

That means hundreds of project developers across the nation are rushing to move up construction starts — a particular challenge considering that permitting can take years, not to mention the administration has signaled it doesn’t prioritize such efforts. 

Some in the renewable energy industry also worry about potential tax credit eligibility clawbacks, noting that Trump’s executive order directs federal agencies to place extra scrutiny on what qualifies as beginning construction. The order proclaims that commercial wind and solar development “denigrates the beauty of our nation’s natural landscape,” “displaces” affordable domestic energy sources, is “unreliable” and poses a threat to national security for relying on supplies from “foreign entities of concern.”

Gov. Mark Gordon praised Congress for tax and royalty rollbacks for coal, oil and natural gas, noting those industries are “critical to Wyoming’s fiscal health.” His press statement following the bill’s passage last week, however, made no mention of the increasing role wind and solar play in Wyoming. 

“Wyoming voted overwhelmingly for President Trump for his embrace of free enterprise, freedom and his promise to cut government,” Gordon said. “I am optimistic about our economy, but remain concerned about a burgeoning federal deficit.”

Wind and solar in Wyoming

Wyoming generates about 10,200 megawatts of electricity from all sources, according to state and federal data. Nearly one-third comes from wind and solar. More than half the electrons generated here are exported to customers outside the state.

One megawatt is enough electricity to power about 750 homes.

One wind energy project alone, Power Company of Wyoming’s Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project in Carbon County, will add more than 3,500 megawatts of electrical generation capacity, boosting the state’s power generation by 34%.

The 600-turbine project qualifies for federal tax credits, despite backing from billionaire Phil Anschutz. Construction of the massive “power plant” technically began in 2016, according to the company, and work kicked into high gear about a year ago. The project remains on track, “and is continuing construction,” a company spokesperson told WyoFile via email. Developers plan to begin producing wind energy in phases, and potentially put the project in full-capacity operation in 2030.

The 330-megawatt Boswell Springs wind facility in Albany County came online recently, according to local reports. NextEra Energy’s 390-megawatt Cedar Springs IV wind project in Converse County is expected to be in operation this year, as is Invenergy’s 590-megawatt Rock Creek wind energy project in Albany County.

Those are all major additions to Wyoming’s electrical generation industry. But the fate of numerous other renewable energy projects is unknown. Nearly a dozen wind and solar projects have come before the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council since 2020, according to a WyoFile review. Each touts hundreds of construction jobs, dozens of permanent and ancillary jobs and significant revenues via rents to landowners and property taxes. 

Wyoming is one of the few states in the nation that imposes a tax on wind energy generation, producing millions of dollars each year that are split between the state and the counties hosting wind power plants. One “good” thing in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for clean energy, proponents say, is a new cost-share that will split federal rents and fees with local governments hosting wind and solar facilities. That may give the industry more favorability with local governments, they speculate.

“Honestly, here in Albany County, we have such a poor assessed valuation that property tax is a little bit hard to come by,” Rothfuss said. “And for that matter, this year’s sales and use tax is being buoyed by the wind projects. So we know that our community’s counting on that revenue.” 

But there’s no full accounting of wind and solar projects in the early planning stages that may be at risk due to the accelerated phase-out of federal tax credits.

Each project also touts its avoided carbon dioxide emissions as an alternative to fossil-fueled power plants. That’s also in Wyoming’s interest, “because the science is clear about where we are headed in terms of emissions and what that means in terms of a warming climate and weather extremes,” Wyoming Outdoor Council Energy and Climate Policy Director John Burrows told WyoFile.

A recent University of Wyoming survey revealed that Wyoming residents are increasingly concerned about climate change — particularly for its impact on water resources — and that they want their elected officials to do something about it.