Wyoming

Wyoming Lags in Clean Energy Jobs, According to New Report – Inside Climate News

Published

1 year ago

September 27, 2024

Wyoming Lags in Clean Energy Jobs, According to New Report – Inside Climate News

In the first full year since President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, clean energy jobs in the U.S. grew at a faster clip than jobs across the rest of the economy, according to a new report by a business nonprofit. But there are few signs of that expansion in Wyoming, long the nation’s largest purveyor of coal and a hotbed of fossil fuel development, where clean energy job growth has been halting.

E2, a business policy organization and the report’s author, compiled its Clean Jobs America report using data it helped collect for the U.S. Department of Energy’s most recent U.S. Energy and Employment Report, which detailed economic trends for the calendar year 2023. The group found that clean energy jobs grew by 4.5 percent and accounted for one in every 16 new jobs added, bringing the total number of clean energy workers in the U.S. to almost 3.5 million. The rest of the economy grew jobs by 1.5 percent.

“Thanks to the game-changing policies and incentives created by the IRA, clean energy companies are leading an American economic revolution the likes of which we haven’t seen in generations,” said Bob Keefe, executive director of E2, in a statement accompanying the report’s release.

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One of the largest onshore wind farms in the country is being developed in south central Wyoming. But none of the “330 major clean energy projects” announced after the IRA was signed in August 2022 are scheduled to be completed in the state. According to E2’s report, Wyoming has the second-fewest clean energy jobs, behind only Alaska.

Measured per capita, the state’s clean energy job growth rate actually ranked second from the top. But this was more a function of its low population skewing the data. With a paltry number of clean energy workers in Wyoming to start with, adding just a few hundred new jobs registers as substantial growth.

With so much federal money available and some high-quality renewable energy resources, Wyoming’s low participation in the clean energy economy is conspicuous.

“Wyoming is missing out and could really be capitalizing on clean energy as a growth sector,” said Kate Groetzinger, the communications manager for the Center for Western Priorities. She added that growing its clean energy sector did not necessarily have to come at the expense of fossil fuels, though the Center for Western Priorities would still like to see the state ramp down its production and use of coal, oil and natural gas.

The Wyoming Energy Authority, the state entity responsible for implementing and overseeing energy policy, did not respond with a comment for this story.

Wind has long been Wyoming’s most developed renewable sector, accounting for the vast majority of its clean energy projects—there are 35 wind projects and more than 1,000 turbines in the state—even as state legislators routinely threaten legislation that would create a less friendly business environment for the industry.

“Wyoming is one of the eight remaining states with more fossil fuel jobs than clean energy jobs.”
— Michael Timberlake, E2 spokesperson

Solar has followed a different trajectory in Wyoming. The state is home to only two utility-scale solar farms, one of which environmentalists say has been detrimental to wildlife since it came online in 2018. But there are signs the industry is poised to grow in the state: There are four new utility-scale solar projects in Wyoming’s permitting pipeline, and the Bureau of Land Management’s recently updated Western Solar Plan makes almost 4 million acres of public land in Wyoming available for development.

Though the Cowboy State had one of the highest rates of clean energy jobs per capita, placing third behind Vermont and Massachusetts in E2’s report, those jobs made up a smaller portion of its total energy and motor vehicle jobs than most other states.

“Wyoming is one of the eight remaining states with more fossil fuel jobs than clean energy jobs,” said Michael Timberlake, a spokesperson for E2. Wyoming’s clean energy jobs made up only 18 percent of all energy and motor vehicle jobs in the state, a much lower ratio than also-sparsely-populated Vermont, where clean energy jobs make up over 70 percent of all its energy and motor vehicle jobs.

For a state with such a staunch energy reputation, Wyoming’s rank toward the bottom of most clean energy job metrics caught Groetzinger by surprise. “This report is a good reality check” for Wyoming, she said, and it “shows that Governor Gordon should be paying at least as much attention to clean energy generation as he is to carbon capture.”

Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, has sought to make Wyoming a hotbed for carbon capture projects, mainly as a lifeline for the state’s fossil fuel industry. Under his administration, the state legislature has passed laws mandating that fossil fuel-fired power plants add carbon capture technology, even as the costly technology threatens to raise electricity rates in the state.

In a blow to the nascent industry, Project Bison, a large carbon capture plant planned in the state, announced earlier this month it had “paused” construction because it was unable to acquire enough access to clean energy.

Gordon’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Despite Wyoming’s low clean energy job growth, the rest of the West added green jobs at the second-highest rate in the county. The region trailed only the South in both jobs added and total clean energy jobs, with a 4.2 percent growth rate.

Businesses in the U.S. are “just getting started,” taking advantage of the IRA, said Keefe. “The biggest threats to this unprecedented progress are misguided efforts to repeal or rollback parts of the IRA, despite the law’s clear benefits both to American workers and the communities where they live.”

About This Story

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Jake Bolster is a freelance multimedia journalist who covers climate and the environment across the United States.

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Wyoming

Group asks judge to restore abortion rights, block Human Heartbeat Act

Published

6 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Group asks judge to restore abortion rights, block Human Heartbeat Act

A group of abortion access advocates are asking the Natrona County District Court to block the Human Heartbeat Act. The law went into effect on March 9 and bans most abortions at six weeks.

That’s because cardiac activity can be detected with a transvaginal ultrasound at about six weeks — a time when abortion advocates say many people don’t know they’re pregnant yet.

The motion to the court states that the new law involves the same “fundamental problem” as other abortion-related laws already being considered by the court.

They are asking to add the law to an ongoing case over separate laws, which would require building renovations at abortion clinics and require transvaginal ultrasounds 48 hours before an abortion. Both of those laws have been temporarily blocked.

“[The Human Heartbeat Act] transgresses the constitutional guarantee of Plaintiffs’ and individuals’ to make health care decisions without interference from the government,” says the document filed on the afternoon of March 10 by Robinson Bramlet LLC.

Wyoming Public Radio obtained the filing from Chelsea’s Fund, an abortion-rights nonprofit and one of the plaintiffs in the case — part of the same group that has been challenging the state for years to protect abortion access.

They recently won their case in the Wyoming Supreme Court, when the majority of justices decided to strike down two near-total abortion laws enacted in 2024, saying they violated residents’ right to make their own healthcare decisions, which is specifically protected in the Wyoming Constitution.

The Legislature quickly got to work on more anti-abortion legislation, such as the Human Heartbeat Act, which Gov. Mark Gordon signed on March 9. It carries an exception for cases where the health of the mother is in jeopardy, but not for rape or incest victims, which Gordon called an “unfortunate flaw.”

Chelsea’s Fund Executive Director Janean Forsyth said she was disappointed the state again restricted access to “vital care.”

“I’m thinking about everyone from the 15 year old that we supported, whose grandmother actually reached out, a victim of sexual assault,” Forsyth said. “I’m thinking about a family with a very wanted pregnancy that we supported in eventually seeking an abortion for a severe fetal anomaly.”

Forsyth added that abortion laws like this result in medical providers leaving the state.

“So it’s not only affecting access to abortion care, it’s affecting reproductive healthcare access generally for parents and children, which is really unfortunate,” she said.

Wellspring Health Access in Casper, the state’s only abortion clinic, is cancelling appointments with patients seeking to end their pregnancies later in their term, according to Executive Director Katie Knutter.

Speaker of the House Chip Neiman (R-Hulett) sponsored the law. He said he wasn’t surprised it was met with legal action, as that’s been the trend in recent years.

“I think we’re in a good spot,” Neiman said in a voicemail to Wyoming Public Radio after the lawsuit was filed. “And we’re going to move ahead and the people of the Legislature, Wyoming has spoken.”

Lawmakers decided against putting the issue directly before Wyoming voters as a constitutional amendment this fall. That’s after Gordon urged them to do so to end the legal cycle.

Neiman couldn’t be reached by publication time to comment on the decision to not pursue a constitutional amendment, but in a Jan. 26 town hall, he expressed worries that voters could codify the right to abortion.

In 2024, 64% of Nevada voters supported enshrining the right into the state constitution. A majority will have to vote in favor again later this year to recognize the right.

In his voicemail, Neiman added, “There’s folks out there that are completely good with killing kids, killing babies in the womb, and there’s other folks out here like the Legislature that are fighting desperately to preserve their lives.”

The abortion-rights group said it will ask the court to issue a temporary restraining order and block the new law while the legal challenge proceeds.

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Wyoming

Wyoming Coaches Pick the Best of 1A & 2A Boys Basketball in 2026

Published

18 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming Coaches Pick the Best of 1A & 2A Boys Basketball in 2026

The top boys’ basketball players in Wyoming for Classes 1A and 2A were chosen for the 2026 high school season. The Wyoming Coaches Association has unveiled the all-state awards for this year, as voted on by the head coaches in the two classifications, respectively. The Wyoming Coaches Association only recognizes one team for all-state, and only these players receive an award certificate from the WCA. WyoPreps only lists all-state players as defined by the WCA.

WCA 1A-2A BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-STATE SELECTIONS IN 2026

Each class selected 14 players for all-state, reflecting a broad recognition of talent across Wyoming. Notably, congratulations go to Hulett’s Kyle Smith, Brady Cook from Lingle-Fort Laramie, and Carsten Freeburg from Pine Bluffs, who earned all-state honors for the third straight year. In addition, eight more players achieved all-state status for the second time in their prep careers.

Class 1A

Paul McNiven – Burlington

Bitner Philpott – Burlington

Ammon Hatch – Cokeville (All-State in 2025)

Hudson Himmerich – Cokeville

Kyle Smith – Hulett (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Anthony Arnusch – Lingle-Ft. Laramie

Brady Cook – Lingle-Ft. Laramie (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Tymber Cozzens – Little Snake River (All-State in 2025)

Corbin Matthews – Lusk

Max Potas – Meeteetse (All-State in 2024)

Jace Westring – Saratoga

Hazen Williams – Saratoga

TJ Moats – Southeast (All-State in 2024)

Nic Schiller – Upton

Read More Boys Basketball News from WyoPreps

WyoPreps 1A-2A State Basketball Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps 3A-4A Regional Basketball Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Final Basketball Poll 2026

1A-2A Boys Basketball Regional Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 11 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-25-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 10 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-18-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 9 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-11-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 8 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-4-26

Class 2A

Caleb Adsit – Big Horn

Chase Garber – Big Horn

Carsten Freeburg – Pine Bluffs (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Mason Moss – Rocky Mountain

Oakley Hicks – Shoshoni

Kade Mills – Sundance

Cody Bomengen – Thermopolis (All-State in 2025)

Zak Hastie – Thermopolis

Ellis Webber – Thermopolis (All-State in 2025)

Joseph Kimbrell – Wright

Mitchell Strohschein – Wright (All-State in 2025)

Adriano Brown – Wyoming Indian

Heeyei’Niitou Monroe-Black – Wyoming Indian (All-State in 2025)

Cordell Spoonhunter – Wyoming Indian

The 2026 state champions were the Saratoga Panthers in Class 1A. They beat Lingle-Fort Laramie, 50-45, in the championship game. The 2A winners were the Thermopolis Bobcats, who repeated as champions, after a 45-38 victory over Wyoming Indian in the title game.

Lusk versus Rock River high school basketball 2026

Game action between the Tigers and Longhorns

Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Lisa Shaw

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Wyoming

New laws establish a statewide literacy program

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

New laws establish a statewide literacy program

A pair of bills signed into law last week aim to build out a more comprehensive system of literacy education across Wyoming’s public schools.

One mandates evidence-based practices and requires regular screenings for dyslexia, while the other enables the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) to hire a dedicated literacy professional to oversee statewide compliance.

Gov. Mark Gordon’s signing of both bills on Friday was the latest accomplishment of an ongoing push for improved literacy standards. That push has been spearheaded by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder.

“Wyoming is not going to let a single child fall through the cracks,” Degenfelder said during a public bill signing last week. “We are not going to fall behind when it comes to ensuring that our children can read at grade level.”

The primary bill, Senate File 59, establishes a statewide K-12 program for teaching students to read that is built on “evidence based language and literacy instruction, assessment, intervention and professional development that supports educators, engages families and promotes literacy proficiency for all Wyoming students.”

The bill defines evidence-based strategies as those that conform to the science of reading, a term that will be defined and updated by Degenfelder’s office. Nationwide, it generally means putting academic research into practice in classrooms. SF 59 specifically prohibits the exclusive use of “three-cueing” — a strategy once widely employed to teach reading but which education experts now say is outdated and less effective than other strategies.

It also requires annual dyslexia screeners for students below the third grade, and testing for reading difficulties for all students.

The screeners are used to identify the severity of reading difficulties in order to direct “tiered” support that offers the most intensive interventions to the students most in need, while still providing “evidence based” language instruction to all students.

Each school district must formulate an individualized reading plan “for each student identified as having reading difficulties or at risk for poor reading outcomes.”

Districts must now report to the state annually regarding their literacy-related work. Any district where 60% or more of the students are struggling will be required to implement “summer literacy camps or extended supports, including after school support and tutoring.”

The bill also requires literacy related professional development for teachers and specialists “appropriate to their role and level of responsibility” related to literacy education.

SF 59 was backed by dyslexia advocates and literacy specialists.

Senate File 14, the other literacy bill signed into law Friday, appropriates $120,000 annually for the next two years for a full-time position at WDE “to assist school districts in implementing a reading assessment and intervention program and language and literacy programs.”

Both bills go into effect July 1.

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