Carbon County is known for its natural resources and energy industries.  Coal, natural gas, oil, uranium and wind are some of the key energy industries here.  Currently Carbon County is the hub for wind energy development in the state! There is the potential of over 6,300 MW of wind generation alone being developed or under permit in Carbon County! Two projects will have a capital investment of about $9 billion! Come look at some of the projects happening in Carbon County!

Carbon County Industrial and Natural Resource Development Projects

The following projects are examples of some of the activity currently underway in Carbon County.

windUpcoming Large Wind Projects:

The Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project will be the country’s largest wind farm located south of Rawlins on the Overland Trail Cattle Company Ranch.  The 3,000 MW project will consist of up to 1,000 towers.  The Project is being built in two phases with up to 500 towers each and should be in full service with all 1,000 towers by 2026.  Road construction started October, 2016. Click on link above for more information.

Viridis Eoilia Corp, 1,870 MW Wind Energy Project will soon be located in south-central Wyoming, north of the town of Medicine Bow, WY in Carbon County.  The Development will be developed in (9) phases and still under permitting.  When fully developed the Project will have a total name plate capacity of 1,830 MW with 600+ towers. Total acreage for the Project is 98,320 acres.  Be watching for updates.

Carbon County Wind and Transmission map below.  For a larger map go to Maps section on website:        

OPPORTUNITY ZONE MAP FOR RAWLINS/CARBON COUNTY:

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created the Opportunity Zone program to spur investment in economically distressed census tracts.  Opportunity Zones reduce capital gains taxes for individuals and businesses who invest in qualified Opportunity Zones.  Our opportunity zone is the east part of Rawlins and out into the county by the red line border on the map above.

Transwest Express Transmission Project

The Wyoming Industrial Siting Council has approved the TransWest Express Transmission Project concluding the state permitting process on April 19, 2019.  This continues the strong momentum for the 730-mile TWE project, a high-voltage direct current and high-voltage alternating current system designed to provide Western energy markets with access to diverse wind resources.  Project construction is estimated to begin in 2020 and will help carry the wind power supplied by the 3,000 MW Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project south of Rawlins.

Other projects in the BLM Cooperators Newsletter:

Atlantic Rim – Warren Resources, Inc. and Escalera Resources Co.  The Atlantic Rim Project Area consists of about 270,080 acres located on a mixture of BLM, state and private surface and mineral ownerships in the county.  To date, 442 coalbed methane wells have been drilled, although a total of 1,050 were projected to be drilled by this time.  At this time, about one-third (2,727 acres) of the 7,600 acre cap gas been disturbed.

Continental Divide-Creston Natural Gas Project – BP America, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, and others.  This project submitted a plan of development to drill up to 8,950 wells in the project area located in Carbon and Sweetwater counties.  The project area encompasses approximately 1.2 million acres and located primarily to the north and south of Wamsutter, WY.  The Record of Decision from the BLM was signed on September 22,2016 and released to the public on September 26, 2016.  The ROD is in full force and effect.