The western U.S. contains the fastest growing states in the nation in terms of population and energy consumption. It also contains much of the nation’s energy supply. These reserves include traditional resources such as coal, natural gas and hydropower. They also include largely untapped resources such as energy efficiency, wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and combined heat and power projects, all of which are remarkably promising in many parts of the West.

Governors adopt clean energy goal
To ensure that these newer, clean energy sources play an important role in powering the West, the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) is developing recommendations to increase energy efficiency 20 percent by 2020 and develop 30,000 megawatts (MW) of clean energy by 2015. If the group is successful, citizens will save money and energy, reduce emissions and create new business opportunities across the West.

In 2005, eight WGA task forces – energy efficiency, wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, clean coal, advanced natural gas and transmission – pulled together information on supply, barriers and policy recommendations. Hailing from across the nation, task force members served on a volunteer basis and were the leading experts or advocates on a particular energy resource. The Wyoming Outdoor Council was well-represented by board members Jim States (wind, geothermal) and Scott Kane (solar), and staff member Michele Barlow (energy efficiency).

As we go to press, the task forces are putting the finishing touches on their individual reports. The finals will be released to the public on December 8 during a meeting of the WGA’s oversight group, the Clean and Diversified Energy Advisory Committee (CDEAC). In June 2006, the CDEAC will deliver its recommendations to the western governors based on the input it received from the task force reports.

What does Wyoming have to offer?

Clean Coal
Coal is Wyoming’s second-leading source of mineral severance tax revenue, contributing $149 million of the state’s $727 million total in fiscal year 2005.

Southern Wyoming is home to the Jim Bridger power plant, one of the largest coal-fired power plants in North America. The Jim Bridger plant is old and dirty. In 2000, it pumped nearly 20 million tons of carbon dioxide, 38 thousand tons of nitrogen oxides, 26 thousand tons of sulfur dioxide and more than 600 tons of mercury into the air. The future of Wyoming’s coal—if it is to be considered clean—is not more Jim Bridger power plants. Rather, Wyoming officials are jockeying to attract coal gasification plants and synthetic fuels facilities that will extract energy from coal with low air emissions.

Wind
At the end of 2004, Wyoming wind farms supplied 285 megawatts of the West’s 4,923 MW of total wind capacity. These wind farms stretch across the state’s southern tier at Evanston (144 MW), Foote Creek Rim (85 MW), Rock River (50 MW) and Medicine Bow (6 MW).

While future development is hard to predict, the WGA’s wind task force put Wyoming’s low-end expansion capacity at 355 MW and the high-end expansion capacity at 5,355 MW for new wind power. These disparate projections are a consequence of different assumptions about transmission, taxes, subsidies and state policies such as Renewable Portfolio Standards (requirements that electrical utilities generate a certain percentage of power from renewable resources).

Solar
Currently, the top five western states in terms of solar electric (or photovoltaic) installations are California, Arizona, Hawaii, Texas and Colorado. California is the obvious leader accounting for 92 percent of the West’s 109 MW of total grid-connected photovoltaic capacity as of January 2005. The Golden State’s lead is due to its aggressive photovoltaic policies, consumer rebates, production subsidies and tax credits, not to mention its high electricity prices and very good solar resources.

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants use mirrors to concentrate the sun’s energy and either convert it to heat to drive turbines or focus it on high-efficiency photovoltaic panels. In terms of direct solar radiation, the best sites for CSP plants are located in the southwestern U.S. Although Wyoming won’t attract CSP plants, distributed solar technologies provide an excellent opportunity to enlist hundreds of Wyoming businesses, schools and homeowners to contribute individually to the nation’s electricity supply.

The rest of the energy story
We’ll highlight energy efficiency, geothermal, biomass and advanced natural gas in future issues of Frontline Report. In 2006, the Wyoming Outdoor Council and our partners are planning to advance a handful of the WGA’s clean and diversified energy policy recommendations. And we promise to keep you in the loop because your voice is key to our success.