Gray Changes Mind On Power Station Access After Spat With Curt Meier
Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray initially opposed a temporary-use permit for Tri-State Generation and Transmission for an access road in Natrona County, citing concerns it could support future data center, wind, or solar projects. After a debate, Gray reversed his vote, and the permit was approved. Tri-State clarified the permit was for routine maintenance of an existing substation, not new development.
Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray initially opposed a temporary-use permit for Tri-State Generation and Transmission during a State Board of Land Commissioners meeting in Cheyenne. Gray voiced concerns that the 288-foot access road in rural Natrona County could be used to advance future wind, solar, or data center projects, citing a lack of information provided to board members on permit applications.
During a lively debate, State Auditor Krisi Racines and Governor Mark Gordon participated, with Governor Gordon emphasizing Tri-State's role as a major power supplier for Wyoming cooperatives. State Treasurer Curt Meier criticized Gray's stance, arguing that impeding power access would stifle economic development, especially for irrigators and farmers in a drought-affected region. Meier labeled the attempt to manage the economy based on political ideology as 'troubling'.
Gray eventually changed his vote to approve the permit after Office of State Lands and Investments Director Stacia Berry indicated the project was likely not linked to wind, solar, or data center development. Tri-State Generation and Transmission later clarified that the permit was solely for renewal of access to an existing Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) substation, needed for routine operational and grid reliability maintenance, not for new construction. Additionally, Gray unsuccessfully attempted to block a separate easement request by Enbridge Solar earlier in the meeting.