Wyoming Ranchers Sue State Over Proposed Wind Farm

Not in our backyard, say a contingent of Wyoming ranchers who are staring at the future prospect of wind and solar farms being constructed near their land.

The Wyoming State Lands & Investment Board (SLIB) approved Pronghorn Clean Energy / Pronghorn H2, LLC’s wind farm land lease application, Wind Energy Lease 1620. SLIB (comprised of the top five elected officials in the state) voted 4-1 to approve the permit on April 3. Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray cast the no vote.

Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray called into Wyoming's morning radio talk show to talk to host Glenn Woods about his problems with the project.

Gov. Mark Gordon, Treasurer Curt Meier, Superintendent of Public Education Megan Degenfelder, and State Auditor Kristi Racines all voted yes.

Now the project moves on to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and Industrial Siting Council for reviews and permits.

Ranchers Michael “Mike” Stephens and Joe Benedetta, Glenrock Mayor Bruce Roumell, state Reps. Kevin Campbell (R-Converse/Natrona), Tomi Strock, (R-Converse), Nina Webber (R-Park) and Bill Allemand (R-Natrona) and a handful of other legislators and ranchers say that the lawsuit intends to stop the wind farm permit, though officially it just asks the court to review the state’s administrative decision.

For those opposed to the project, it is about preserving the land.

Not just the beauty of it, from a sprawling wind farm, but from the environmental damage that large wind and solar projects do to the land and the wildlife.

They have such a large footprint, for one thing.

Focus Clean Energy has plans to build a $1.7 billion, 40,000-plus-acre behemoth endeavor near the North Platte River east of Glenrock, consisting of the wind farm, a solar farm and a “green” hydrogen refinery that will produce jet fuel for Denver International Airport, Focus Clean Energy’s Paul Martin has said at multiple meetings in Converse County. (Douglas Budget).

Water is also a concern.

It takes about 2.37 gallons of water to make 1 kg of hydrogen. Will there be enough for the plant, plus ranching and farming?

The mayor of Glenrock is worried if there will be enough water left over for the town.

.”. . . My transmission line from there to town . . . How much is that gonna cross our right-of-way for our pipeline right of way? And (what if it) actually gets damaged, that line gets broke between there and town? (Then) I got no water in town,” Roumell said at the meeting. (Douglas Budget).