carbon capture

One law creates repercussions for people who vandalize petroglyphs, pictographs and historical inscriptions, with fines of up to $750 and or up to six months in jail.

A group of communities in the Mountain West are now giving grants to companies that work on removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Gov. Mark Gordon is calling a proposal for a coal-fired power plant to install carbon capture technology a win for Wyoming — if it proves economically beneficial.

Wyoming’s Governor Mark Gordon is the leader of a group of western governors for the next year, and his goal is to explore ‘decarbonization’ as a way to address climate change. Gordon recently held a workshop in Gillette, which Wyoming Public Radio’s energy reporter Caitlin Tan attended. She spoke with WPR’s news director Kamila Kudelska.

Governor Mark Gordon held his State of the State address on Wednesday, Jan. 11, and he focused a lot on energy.There was an apparent Wyoming versus the federal government mentality in Gordon’s speech.

A direct air capture project set to begin operations this year in Wyoming could soon be the largest facility of its kind in the world. The commercial companies that founded "Project Bison" estimate it will remove five million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere per year by 2030

One of Wyoming’s main electricity providers says following state law could come at a huge cost to customers.Pacificorp, also known as Rocky Mountain Power, recently testified to the Wyoming Public Service Commission regarding a 2020 state law that requires public utilities to begin incorporating some carbon capture technology at their coal-fired plants. Some see carbon capture as a way to meet climate goals, while still using coal.

The Lone Star State is the biggest consumer of Wyoming coal and is seeking to keep fossil fuels as a part of their energy profile in the coming years. Wyoming's coal industry could benefit from additional shipments if Texas's carbon capture industry takes off. Carbon capture initiatives are proving to be competitive overall.

The agreement between the State of Wyoming and PacifiCorp will keep a unit of the Jim Bridger Power Plant online past the previous closure deadline of Apr. 30, which has been signed by Gordon. Carbon capture technologies may also lengthen the lifespan of the facility, which has been operating for over 50 years.

While the pandemic has boosted coal production figures, an increase that is likely to continue in 2022, experts say the downward trend will only continue once markets normalize from economic recoveries and other energy sources further challenge the industry.