Energy industry presses Wyoming lawmakers to better meet Trump’s ‘energy dominance’ agenda

Energy industry advocates are pressing Wyoming lawmakers to broaden incentives and streamline permitting for mineral resources beyond fossil fuels, aiming to bolster the state's entire "energy supply chain." Concurrently, energy officials are urging lawmakers to confront the critical issue of supplying vast amounts of electricity to expanding extraction and processing projects, as well as new data center proposals. Petroleum Association of Wyoming President Pete Obermueller emphasized that Wyoming faces electricity generation constraints, which impede projects requiring massive new power volumes quickly. He noted that some data center developers are considering power needs exceeding the state's total electrical generation capacity. While Obermueller does not advocate for deregulating Wyoming's electric utility industry, he suggests allowing for self-generation projects or behind-the-meter power for specific project clusters, citing that regulated utilities like Black Hills Energy already serve large power customers, including data centers in Cheyenne, separately. However, Anthony Ornelas, Administrator for the Wyoming Office of Consumer Advocate, cautioned against removing large load customers from utilities, as their contributions help cover infrastructure costs and keep rates low for smaller consumers. Ornelas also stressed that if self- or third-party generation is permitted, utilities must be absolved from backup responsibilities. The Legislature’s Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee has instructed staff to draft a bill addressing these electricity supply challenges. Lawmakers also heard testimony on how Wyoming could better align with the Trump administration’s "energy dominance" agenda by extending incentives and streamlined permitting to other minerals like uranium, trona, and bentonite, which are crucial for the energy supply chain but are often overlooked in current mining-friendly policies.