Wyoming’s Energy Horizon Will Change Under Trump

A change from a Democrat-run administration to a Republican, namely Trump, and a GOP-run House and Senate will signal a major change in the United States' energy policy.

It will also change what we have been seeing here in Wyoming.

We can expect to see a change to the energy policy Congress votes on and the action President Trump orders the bureaucracy to take.

The last time Trump was in office he ordered major changes to energy and environmental policy from the EPA, BLM, and other related agencies.

Imagine a relaxing of carbon emission rules, to name one.

Wyoming could finally drop its pursuit of carbon capture for coal and natural gas plants.

That would save Wyoming taxpayers and energy customers a lot of money.

The wind and solar energy sector is worried about a loss, or at least a slowdown, in subsidies from the federal government. That is where most of the money to build wind and solar farms has been coming from.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, had nothing to do with reducing inflation. Even President Biden admitted so after it passed.

Rather, it is a key climate policy that will be difficult to repeal, despite Republicans’ recently acquired control of the House and Senate.

Still, the Trump administration will most likely make it more difficult for wind and solar to get grants, loans, and handouts.

The wind and solar industry is also worried that Trump might issue executive orders to reduce or place a moratorium on federal leasing areas for their projects, such as offshore wind.

Then there is Wall Street.

The moment Trump won the election wind and solar stocks saw sharp declines.

Wind energy developers experienced a drop of up to 14%.

Solar company shares fell by as much as 40%.

Trump's plan to "Drill baby drill," as well as dig for more energy will cost jobs in the wind and solar sector, but bring back jobs in organic fuels like coal, gas, and oil.