Lincoln County voices interest in data centers in Sublette Antelope Herd migration corridor

Lincoln County, Wyoming, is actively exploring opportunities to attract data center development to its southern region, particularly near Kemmerer and Opal. Stephen Allen, Lincoln County Chief of Staff, indicated that the county has been approached by two or three interested parties, viewing data centers as a way to stabilize the local economy amidst declining coal production and reduce reliance on the volatile energy industry. This interest was voiced during a working group convened by Governor Mark Gordon, which is focused on protecting the Sublette Antelope Herd’s migration corridor. Data centers are drawn to Wyoming by its high altitude, dry climate, and abundant energy resources, including a natural gas power plant owned by Rocky Mountain Power and a nuclear power plant under construction in Lincoln County. A recent "Data x Power" summit in Jackson, co-hosted by the University of Wyoming, further highlighted the significant momentum behind data center investment in the state. However, the potential for large-scale industrial development like data centers is raising environmental concerns. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department, though initially not identifying data centers as a threat to the migration corridor, now intends to treat them as industrial developments that could impede wildlife movement. Wildlife advocates, such as Meghan Riley of the Wyoming Outdoor Council, stress the importance of careful siting to minimize ecological impact, underscoring the ongoing challenge of balancing economic pursuits with the preservation of natural landscapes and wildlife populations in the West.