Fossil Fuels

The Trump administration is ordering to unleash American energy on public lands. That includes reviewing the recently approved management plan for 3.6 million acres around Rock Springs, as well as other high profile areas in Wyoming. But some speculate any rescinding of the plans would face legal battles.

President Trump is promising a ‘golden age’ for America, with a focus on fossil fuels. This could have positive financial implications in Wyoming, where fossil fuels are the backbone of the state’s economy. But, because of supply and demand could mean a ‘net wash’ in state revenue.

There are a lot of energy-related bills in this year’s Wyoming legislative session. Two have received a lot of public outcry recently. One would roll back electricity sales tax, which could cripple small towns, as it’s a revenue they depend on. Another would likely make it more expensive to have rooftop solar. Opponents say it’d remove most of the incentives to use the technology. Wyoming Public Radio’s Caitlin Tan and WyoFile’s Dustin Bleizeffer break the proposals down.

Lawmakers are formally asking Wyoming’s governor to put fossil fuels above wind and solar. But one senator testified this week to a committee at the Capitol that that’s already happening.

Many people hesitate to get electric cars because of concerns over being able to charge them, and many people don’t have the means to have home chargers. Federal funding aims to put chargers in places that are more accessible to lower-income and underserved communities.

President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on rolling back many of the climate-oriented, energy-transition policies of his predecessor. That’s led many of his supporters and the fossil fuel industry to celebrate and many environmentalists to panic. Yet amid these polarized reactions is a lot of uncertainty – especially in an energy-rich state like Wyoming University of Wyoming experts weigh in.

The main federal energy assistance program available to those who struggle to pay their household energy bills isn't keeping up with demand — or with changing energy needs in a warming climate.

A new report shows U.S. companies and consumers are spending more than ever on clean energy, such as solar, wind, and electric vehicles. And a lot of clean investment is happening in the Mountain West.

Coal has played a significant role in the United Kingdom – and British identity – since the Industrial Revolution. Coal first generated electricity in the country in the 1880s. It was the country’s largest bulk export until 1939. Even the word “smog” was coined in London for the hazy skyline coal power created. But now, the U.K. is the world’s first major economy to quit coal power, beating a climate-focused deadline the government set back in 2015.

The investigations found that revenue from these lands largely goes towards state institutions, like schools or hospitals, but tribes are often the ones paying the price.