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. — Saturday is here once again, and with it comes a slew of events and activities happening all throughout town! It’s a busy day in Casper, with a variety of things happening for people of all ages. From Independent Bookstore Day to Boots and Bling, this is everything happening Saturday in the Oil City.
The Oil City Daily Event Guide is sponsored by Central Wyoming Fair & Rodeo.
Aerial Yoga Conditioning
Theraexpressions Meditation is hosting an aerial yoga conditioning class on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The price is $25 per person.
“There is a version of you that rises on effort instead of hesitation,” the event page states. “That welcomes challenge and climbs towards strength. That turns strain into power. Our high-intensity Aerial Conditioning Yoga is not about looking graceful. It is about feeling empowered within your whole self. Having a fierce rhythm of breath as you lift, stabilize, invert, repeat. Muscles awakening. Mind sharpening. Limits expanding. You meet yourself beyond the edge you thought was final. Where endurance is physical and presence is practiced with every hold. As effort builds, you will feel: total-body strength, igniting endurance rising in waves, grip and shoulder stability, deepening coordination under challenge, mental resilience under load. Not because it’s easy but because you stayed. You kept showing up and trying again even when it got hard. You did this for YOU!! Aerial conditioning teaches a rare truth. You can hold yourself through intensity. You can stabilize inside effort. You can rise again while shaking, sweating, striving and discover you ARE stronger than your doubt. Between earth and air, discipline becomes freedom. Effort becomes empowerment. Resilience becomes identity. All levels of yogis welcomed. Come ready. Leave powerful. Return stronger.”
Happening at 11 a.m.
Wind City Books is celebrating Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday, and bibliophiles of all ages are welcome to participate. It’s happening at Wind City Books from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it’s free and open to the public.
“Join us at Wind City Books Saturday, April 25 to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day 2026!” the event page states. “There will be all kinds of fun beginning as soon as doors open at 10 a.m. with the Libro.fm Golden Ticket Hunt (one lucky person will receive 12 free audio book credits), free book with purchase while supplies last, exclusive independent bookstore day merchandise available for purchase, giveaways, and a book signing featuring local authors India Hayford and Summer Smith Melin.”
Happening at 10 a.m.
The Good, the Bad and the Bugly: Insects and Gardens
The Natrona County Library is hosting a closer look at the tiny creatures that shape the health of the environment, with “The Good, the Bad, and the Bugly: Insects and Gardens” on Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m.
“Inspired by ‘Lab Girl’ and the NEA Big Read theme Our Nature, this program invites participants to examine the often-overlooked relationships between plants and insects,” the event page states. “Alex Hutchinson of Wyoming State Parks will guide participants through the difference between beneficial insects and common garden pests, and share practical tips for identifying who’s helping, who’s harming, and how to respond thoughtfully. From pollinators and soil-builders to leaf-chewers and larvae, we’ll explore how even the smallest organisms play a role in larger ecosystems. In ‘Lab Girl,’ Hope Jahren reminds us that understanding begins with observation. This program encourages gardeners and nature enthusiasts alike to look more closely at the life buzzing, crawling, and fluttering around them — and to see gardens not just as cultivated spaces, but as living communities. This event will take place in the Crawford Room and is open to adults. No registration is required.
Happening at 10 a.m.
The Wyoming Symphony Orchestra is hosting its latest concert, “United Through Music: Pursuit of Happiness,” on Saturday beginning at 3 p.m.
“Join us on April 25 for the final concert of our 2025–26 season!” the event page states. “The season finale features a celebration of American voices and symphonic grandeur. Valerie Coleman’s ‘Seven O’Clock Shout,’ written in honor of frontline workers during the pandemic, leads into Peter Boyer’s patriotic ‘Rhapsody in Red, White, and Blue,’ performed by guest pianist Jeffrey Biegel. Howard Hanson’s choral-orchestral ‘Song of Democracy’ and Respighi’s sweeping ‘Pines of Rome’ bring the season to a majestic close.”
Happening at 3 p.m.
The Barn by the Five Deuces is hosting Boots and Bling on Saturday beginning at 5:30 p.m., with proceeds benefitting the Wyoming Foundation for Cancer Care.
“Dust off your boots and bring a little shine,” the event page states. “Boots & Bling is Wyoming Foundation for Cancer Care’s signature spring fundraiser, and it’s shaping up to be a night you won’t want to miss. Tickets are limited so don’t wait to snag yours! Enjoy dinner by Heirloom and Native, drinks by Occasions by Cory, music, one-of-a-kind items for raffles, and a western-glam atmosphere built around community and connection. We’ll kick things up a notch with a quick, easy line dance lesson, then open up the dance floor for anyone ready to jump in or just cheer from the sidelines. Two left feet welcome… This is a judgment-free dance floor! Every ticket helps ease the burden for Wyoming cancer patients by covering everyday essentials like travel, lodging, groceries, housing, and utilities, giving them one less thing to worry about while they focus on healing.
Happening at 5:30 p.m.
Don’t see an event on the calendar? Add it! Click here, add your details and submit to let Casper know all about it.
Related
The Smithsonian Institution’s carousel is back open for business Friday after being closed for nearly three years for restoration and refurbishments.
Brightly painted ponies have been going round and round, delighting children, for centuries. But the joys they bring haven’t always been accessible to everyone.
The ribbon-cutting at the Smithsonian National Carousel nodded to this fact.
William A. Smith / AP
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AP
The first to ride the reopened carousel was a group of African American adults who arrived from Baltimore. In the 1960s, when many of them were kids, they were among the first to desegregate the carousel when it was located at Gwynn Oak Amusement Park outside of Baltimore.
“My family, we used to go there all the time once they let us in,” said Janice Chance, who was 13 when she first rode the carousel in 1966. Chance’s son was a Marine who died in Afghanistan in 2008. She said to have the carousel back on the National Mall means a lot to her and the many others who fought for “the freedoms of this country.”
“We are together, we’re having fun, but we remember the struggle and how we got here,” said Chance.
Desegregating Gwynn Oak Amusement Park took several years of protests by Black and white activists: It was finally integrated on Aug. 28, 1963, the same day that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr gave his “I Have A Dream” speech on the National Mall.
“So while that was occurring in D.C., quiet activism with little people was occurring on the same date,” said Sharon Langley, who was the first Black child to ride the carousel that day. She was just 11 months old. Years later, Langley co-wrote a children’s book about it. This week, she rode again, on a horse called Freedom Rider — after the desegregating riders. She believes it’s fitting the carousel should be “with all the monuments of freedom… This is a monument for children to come and enjoy, ride and experience the pursuit of happiness.”
After Hurricane Agnes devastated Gwynn Oak’s rides and buildings, the park closed in 1973 and the carousel went into storage. Shortly after, then Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley decided it was time to replace the aging carousel on the National Mall. “As Ripley’s original carousel began to show its age, the Smithsonian began looking for a suitably grand replacement,” Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III wrote in Smithsonian Magazine. “Gwynn Oak’s hand-carved beauty, an emblem of the struggle for civil rights, fit the bill.”
With 54 horses, a sea monster, a pig and two chariots, the restored Gwynn Oak carousel stands again in front of the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building.
Its Civil Rights history might’ve been lost on the kids rushing onto the platform to mount their favorite horses at the ribbon-cutting this week. Seven-year-old Lucas Platt from Virginia gives the carousel high marks. “It’s actually one of the fastest carousels I’ve really been on,” he said. “Usually they’re much slower than this. It’s great. I really like it. Nothing bad about it.”
Copyright 2026 NPR
WYOMING, Mich. — Starting May 1, the city of Wyoming is implementing odd-even outdoor water restrictions for homes and businesses to minimize the burden on its water treatment plant during upcoming water main construction.
The restrictions impacts the following neighborhoods:
- City of Wyoming
- Olive Township
- Blendon Township
- Holland Township
- Georgetown Township
- Jamestown Township
- Gaines Township
- Byron Township
- City of Hudsonville
- City of Grandville
- Western portion of the City of Kentwood
Under the upcoming restriction, residents and businesses with an odd-numbered address can water outdoors on odd days of the month. Those with an even-numbered address can water on even days.
The mandate limits activities like watering lawns, landscaping or filling pools. It does not impact water used for drinking or bathing.
“Municipal leaders ask for the community’s support of the outdoor water use restriction during construction which will increase capacity and reliability,” a statement from the city reads. “In this interim, compliance with the restriction will help avoid an outright ban for everyone on outdoor irrigation.”
The restrictions will remain in effect through June 15.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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