One effort to put lawmakers in the driver's seat of approving large energy projects has died, but another similar effort trudges forward.
Wyoming has about $255 million to award burgeoning energy projects, like nuclear research and carbon capture, through the Wyoming Energy Matching Fund. It was created in 2022 “in an effort to leverage Wyoming-based projects that are applying for federal funding” and is a part of the Wyoming Energy Authority (WEA).
Right now, the Governor gets final say on which projects receive funding – but there’s a lot of vetting before that happens.
“The Governor doesn’t see those projects until we have that recommendation to him,” said Rob Creager, executive director of the WEA, to the Senate Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee on Jan. 24. “We have the school of energy resources, the business council, workforce services, you name the energy entity, do those reviews with us.”
But the bill before lawmakers, SF 83 ‘Large energy project funding – legislative approval’, would’ve added legislative approval into that process.
“I believe that the legislature should be more involved in appropriating such a substantial amount of funds in the state and setting energy policy,” said bill sponsor Sen. Cheri Steinmetz (R-Torrington) to lawmakers.
Steinmetz has previously put in question Wyoming’s ‘all of the above’ energy policy that supports reducing carbon dioxide emissions. She also organized an unsanctioned panel of anti-climate change speakers at the Capitol during last year’s legislative session. These talking points are reflected in another of Steinmetz’s bills this year known as ‘Make carbon dioxide great again.’
In regards to the Wyoming Energy Matching Fund, Steinmetz said she thinks adding in legislative approval could properly vet which projects Wyoming is sinking tax payer money into. This was echoed in a budget amendment from Steinmetz last year that ultimately failed, and is the sentiment in her bill this year.
But, WEA’s Creager said that extra legislative step could take a lot of time and cause Wyoming to lose out on helping developing new energy industries. He explained that many of these projects also rely on time-sensitive federal grants that require another financial match.
“The idea was to be able to make sure that companies who want to do those projects here in the state of Wyoming, if they need help on that match, to make sure we secure that project here in the state and not somewhere else like Texas or North Dakota,” said Creager.
This year’s bill, SF83, ultimately died in the Senate committee, with no lawmaker willing to make a motion. But, a similar effort is moving forward in the state’s proposed supplemental budget. It would also require legislative approval of these projects and it cut about $100 million from the program. The full house and senate still need to approve the budget.
