Wyoming
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.”
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CASPER, Wyo. — High school athletics in Wyoming could see some drastic changes in the coming years following legislative changes to the state’s education budget, the Wyoming High School Activities Association recently announced in a statement.
According to the WHSAA, Wyoming school districts are facing a projected $3.9 million shortfall in activities funding, forcing officials to consider significant cuts to high school sports and extracurricular programs.
The WHSAA shared details regarding a new “silo” funding model implemented by the Legislature, stating that the recalibrated block grant model reduced funding for student activities and extra-duty responsibilities from $46.3 million to $42.4 million, an approximately 8.4% decrease statewide.
WHSAA Commissioner Trevor Wilson said the restructuring also restricts district access to an additional $76.2 million in previously flexible funding.
“A significant portion of the [April 28 WHSAA Board of Directors] meeting was dedicated to discussing the projected funding shortfall,” Wilson wrote.
The WHSAA is weighing several strategies to address rising costs with fewer resources. Proposed changes include eliminating regional tournaments and reducing the number of teams qualifying for state events from eight to four; limiting wrestling to two classes and restricting track and field state participants to the top 16 marks; making cuts to soccer, indoor track and field, Nordic and Alpine skiing, swimming and diving, spring golf and tennis; and reducing in-person speech and debate events by half and centrally locating All-State Music events to minimize travel. The board also recommended increasing gate admission or implementing student participation fees to offset costs.
While the WHSAA release states that no plans have been finalized and the various changes are currently just possibilities, Natrona County School District 1 Board of Trustees member Mary Schmidt criticized the WHSAA’s handling of the news at Monday’s board meeting.
“I take some issues with this, [including] the sheer fact that we as Board of Trustees members have not talked about that at all,” Schmidt said. “It is not our intent and it has not been brought to us to cut our athletics or activities budget for the upcoming school year. … I take issue with them picking sports and getting the community upset and ginning them up to be upset that this is all going to be cut when that hasn’t been discussed.”
Later in the meeting, Superintendent Angela Hensley clarified that Natrona County School District 1’s athletics and activities budget saw a reduction of roughly $550,000 in the coming year’s budget, but said the local school district does not plan to cut any sports.
“Thank you, Trustee Schmidt, for saying this, because I think people are wondering — we are not planning to cut athletics and activities for next year,” Hensley said. “We do have to take a look at our entire budget as we have talked about, as we learn more about these new rules that come in.”
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Republished with permission from Wyoming News Now, a TV news outlet covering the Cheyenne and Casper areas.
Cheyenne City Council has introduced a temporary moratorium, or pause, on new data center construction.
“The end goal is to actually have regulations in place, to have really heavy public involvement with this with data centers,” said Councilman Mark Moody.
The proposed ordinance is not a permanent ban on data centers and would not affect data centers currently under construction.
Councilman Moody says this is a bipartisan issue.
“I just want to make this clear, I’m not against data centers. We do need them from a national security perspective,” he said.
He said there needs to be more public input and regulations regarding data centers in Cheyenne.
The ordinance would require city staff to study data center impacts such as electricity usage, electricity tariffs, closed-loop cooling systems, groundwater impacts, agricultural impacts, and land value.
Cheyenne LEADS, the economic development corporation for Cheyenne and Laramie County, reported in November 2025 that there are 12 operational data centers in Wyoming, five under construction and plans for 43 data centers announced across the state.
“There needs to be more public input with this, and also to see how many we can sustain here in this community, cause there are talks of 43, and then another day 70. How many can we sustain here?” said Councilman Moody.
The proposed moratorium will now go to the Public Services Committee on Monday, May 18 at noon in the Municipal Building.
Sheridan will play in the North Regional Tournament at Gillette, while the South Regional Tournament will be played at Rock Springs.
North Regional Tournament at Gillette:
Checking record vs. highest team in the quadrant not involved in the tie, Thunder Basin gets the #1 Northeast seed over Campbell County, because the Lady Bolts went 3-1 vs. Sheridan, whereas the Lady Camels went 2-2.
Friday, May 15th:
(#1 NE) Thunder Basin vs. (#4 NW) Jackson – 11am
(#2 NW) Natrona County vs. (#3 NE) Sheridan – 11am
(#2 NE) Campbell County vs. (#3 NW) Kelly Walsh – 1pm
(#1 NW) Cody vs. (#4 NE) Worland – 1pm
Semi-Finals:
Thunder Basin/Jackson winner vs. Natrona County/Sheridan winner – 3pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Campbell County/Kelly Walsh winner vs. Cody/Worland winner – 5pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Consolation Round:
Thunder Basin/Jackson loser vs. Natrona County/Sheridan loser – 3pm LOSER OUT!
Campbell County/Kelly Walsh loser vs. Cody/Worland loser – 5pm LOSER OUT!
Saturday, May 16th:
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
2 10am winners vs. each other – 1pm 3rd Place
TBA vs. TBA – 1pm 1st Place
South Regional Tournament at Rock Springs:
Friday, May 15th:
(#1 SW) Laramie vs. (#4 SE) Torrington – 11am
(#2 SE) Cheyenne East vs. (#3 SW) Green River – 11am
(#2 SW) Rock Springs vs. (#3 SE) Wheatland – 1pm
(#1 SE) Cheyenne Central vs. (#4 SW) Cheyenne South – 1pm
Semi-Finals:
Laramie/Torrington winner vs. Cheyenne East/Green River winner – 3pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Rock Springs/Wheatland winner vs. Cheyenne Central/Cheyenne South winner – 5pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Consolation Round:
Laramie/Torrington loser vs. Cheyenne East/Green River loser – 3pm LOSER OUT!
Rock Springs/Wheatland loser vs. Cheyenne Central/Cheyenne South loser – 5pm LOSER OUT!
Saturday, May 16th:
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
2 10am winners vs. each other – 1pm 3rd Place
TBA vs. TBA – 1pm 1st Place
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