© 2024 Wyoming Public Media
800-729-5897 | 307-766-4240
Wyoming Public Media is a service of the University of Wyoming
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Transmission & Streaming Disruptions

Wyoming Public Media Launches New 'Carbon Valley' Podcast Series

Wyoming Public Media announces the release of a limited podcast series that has been two years in the making: Carbon Valley. Part 1 and Part 2 of the series are out now, with new episodes dropping every other Tuesday.

If you are interested in doing a write-up or review, Cooper McKim, the writer and host of the show, is available for interviews. For more information about the show, read on:

---

"There will be coal mining in this area for a long time to come," was a comfortable prediction made back in 1984.

Today's reality? Coal production in Wyoming has been on the decline for more than a decade. Even so, state leaders are still betting big on it, pinning their hopes on an enticing technology called carbon capture. Leaders hope it will adapt the industry to a world concerned about climate change-causing emissions, while others call it false hope for coal-dependent communities.

Enter Carbon Valley. In this weekly podcast series, host Cooper McKim follows one of the state's efforts to become a hub for the technology: the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE competition. It pits five international startups against each other to see if this silver bullet is truly possible.

It is a risk: carbon capture is underdeveloped, elusive, and not-yet-commercially-viable. Even its biggest proponents say it is not ready. But Wyoming leaders are not deterred, hoping this competition, along with the site it was built on, can help jumpstart a Carbon Valley-the Silicon Valley of carbon capture tech-and future-proof the energy capital of America.

During this limited run series, Carbon Valley will focus on story-driven episodes, following an underdog team through a series of challenges in its pursuit to engineer a solution to climate change, win an international competition, and maybe help find a transition for coal country. Or see all of that fall flat.

Subscribe now to discover how one state is reckoning with its future, why carbon capture is more controversial than you might think, and whether the underdog startup has what it takes to solve the puzzle.

Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Wyoming Public Radio and #CarbonValleyPod. Cooper is on Twitter @coopermckim.

Related Content