List of power stations in Wyoming
- Coal (71.1%)
- Wind (22.1%)
- Natural gas (4.3%)
- Hydroelectric (1.9%)
- Solar (0.5%)
- 0.00%
- 0.00%
- 0.00%
This is a list of electricity-generating power stations in the U.S. state of Wyoming, sorted by type and name. In 2021, Wyoming had a total summer capacity of 10,096 MW through all of its power plants, and a net generation of 46,017 GWh in 2022.[2] The corresponding electrical energy generation mix was 71.1% coal, 22.1% wind, 4.3% natural gas, 1.9% hydroelectric and 0.5% solar. Small-scale solar, which includes customer-owned photovoltaic panels, delivered 23 GWh to Wyoming's electrical grid.[1]
Wyoming has the smallest population in the U.S., and in 2019 three-fifths of its electricity generation was sent to nearby western states. It contains more than one-third of the nation's recoverable coal reserves, accounted for two-fifths of all related U.S. mining activity, and exported much of its low-sulfur coal to power plants in 29 other states. Wyoming also mined and exported nearly all the uranium used to fuel the nation's fleet of nuclear power stations. These activities have declined somewhat in recent years, while extraction of Wyoming's oil and gas reserves continued to expand.[3]
Nuclear power stations
Wyoming has no utility-scale nuclear facilities. In June 2021, Terrapower and Pacificorp announced their intention to advance a novel reactor demonstration project at the site of a retiring coal plant in Wyoming.[4] On 16 November 2021, Pacificorp announced the selection of the Naughton Power Plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming for the Natrium Demonstration Project.[5]
Fossil-fuel power stations
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration serves as a general reference.[6]
Coal
| Name | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MW) | Number of steam turbine units |
Year completed |
Retirement schedule | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Johnston | Converse County | 42°50′16″N 105°46′37″W / 42.8378°N 105.7769°W | 922.2 | 4 | 1957 (Unit 1) 1961 (Unit 2) 1964 (Unit 3) 1972 (Unit 4) |
2027 | [7] |
| General Chemical | Sweetwater County | 41°35′36″N 109°45′15″W / 41.5933°N 109.7542°W | 30 | 2 | 1968 (Unit 1) 1977 (Unit 2) |
[8] | |
| Genesis Alkali | Sweetwater County | 41°37′18″N 109°48′43″W / 41.6217°N 109.8119°W | 41 | 6 | 1953-1975 | [9] | |
| Jim Bridger Power Station | Sweetwater County | 41°44′16″N 108°47′09″W / 41.7378°N 108.7857°W | 2,441.9 | 4 | 1974 (Unit 1) 1975 (Unit 2) 1976 (Unit 3) 1979 (Unit 4) |
2038 (Unit 1) 2038 (Unit 2) 2023 (Unit 3) 2028 (Unit 4) |
[7] |
| Laramie River Station | Platte County | 42°06′32″N 104°52′57″W / 42.1089°N 104.8825°W | 1,710 | 3 | 1981 (Unit 1) 1981 (Unit 2) 1982 (Unit 3) |
[10] | |
| Naughton Power Plant | Lincoln County | 41°45′29″N 110°35′54″W / 41.7581°N 110.5983°W | 832 | 3 | 1963 (Unit 1) 1968 (Unit 2) 1971 (Unit 3) |
2025 (Unit 1) 2025 (Unit 2) 2019 (unit 3) |
[7] |
| Neil Simpson I | Campbell County | 44°17′14″N 105°23′16″W / 44.2872°N 105.3878°W | 22 | 1 | 1959 | 2014 (closed) | [11][12] |
| Neil Simpson II | Campbell County | 44°17′09″N 105°23′00″W / 44.2857°N 105.3833°W | 80 | 1 | 1995 | [12] | |
| Wygen I | Campbell County | 44°17′09″N 105°23′00″W / 44.2858°N 105.3833°W | 90 | 1 | 2003 | [13] | |
| Wygen II | Campbell County | 44°17′31″N 105°22′52″W / 44.2919°N 105.3811°W | 95 | 1 | 2008 | [14] | |
| Wygen III | Campbell County | 44°17′31″N 105°22′50″W / 44.2919°N 105.3806°W | 116 | 1 | 2010 | [15] | |
| Wyodak | Campbell County | 44°17′24″N 105°22′53″W / 44.2901°N 105.3815°W | 402.3 | 1 | 1978 | 2038 | [16][17][18] |
Natural gas
Other petroleum gases
| Name | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MW) |
Fuel type | Generation type |
Year completed |
Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Creek Gas Plant | Fremont County | 42°50′51″N 108°18′49″W / 42.8475°N 108.3136°W | 0.9 | All other | Steam turbine | 2018 | [21] |
| Elk Basin Gasoline Plant | Park County | 44°58′50″N 108°50′34″W / 44.9806°N 108.8428°W | 2.0 | Other gases | Steam turbine (x2) | 1948 | [27] |
| Shute Creek Facility | Lincoln County | 41°52′50″N 110°05′25″W / 41.8805°N 110.0904°W | 144 | Other gases | Simple cycle (x3) | 2005 | [28] |
| Sinclair Oil Refinery | Carbon County | 41°46′46″N 107°06′35″W / 41.7795°N 107.1097°W | 1.7 | Other gases | Steam turbine (x2) | 1926/1954 | [24] |
Petroleum liquids
| Name | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MW) |
Generation type |
Year completed |
Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake | Teton County | 44°24′54″N 110°34′26″W / 44.4150°N 110.5739°W | 2.7 | Reciprocating engine | 1967 | |
| Old Faithful | Teton County | 44°27′12″N 110°50′05″W / 44.4533°N 110.8347°W | 2.0 | Reciprocating engine (x2) | 1979 | |
| Sinclair Oil Refinery | Carbon County | 41°46′46″N 107°06′35″W / 41.7795°N 107.1097°W | 1.1 | Reciprocating engine | 1955 | [24] |
Renewable power stations
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration serves as a general reference.[6]
Biomass and industrial waste
| Name | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MW) |
Fuel type | Generation type |
Year completed |
Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simplot Phosphates | Sweetwater County | 41°32′30″N 109°07′58″W / 41.5417°N 109.1328°W | 11.5 | Industrial waste heat[A] | Steam turbine | 1986 | [29][30] |
A Waste heat from phosphate fertilizer manufacturing
Geothermal
Wyoming has no utility-scale geothermal facilities. It has a number of small-scale geothermal installations used mostly to heat buildings.[3]
Hydroelectric
Solar
| Plant | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MWAC) |
Year completed |
Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Cheyenne Solar | Laramie County | 150 | 2024 | [48] | |
| Sweetwater Solar | Sweetwater County | 41°37′45″N 109°41′01″W / 41.6291°N 109.6835°W | 92 | 2018 | [49] |
Wind
Wind
The Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project, with a planned capacity of up to 3,000 MW generated by about 1,000 turbines, is under construction in Carbon County and scheduled for completion in 2026.[51] It would be the largest wind farm in the U.S. upon completion, and would serve the western U.S. market through planned new HVDC transmission capacity.[52]
Battery storage facilities
Wyoming had no utility-scale battery storage facilities in 2019.
References
- ^ a b "Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Wyoming, Fuel Type-Check all, Annual, 2001–22". www.eia.gov. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ "Wyoming Electricity Profile". U.S. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "Wyoming Electricity Profile Analysis". U.S. EIA. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ "Natrium™ Reactor Demonstration Project will bring clean energy and jobs to the state". Terrapower. June 2, 2021.
- ^ "Coal Plant Site Unveiled for 500-MW Natrium Advanced Nuclear Pilot". Powermag. November 17, 2021.
- ^ a b Energy Information Administration (September 15, 2020). "Form EIA-860 detailed data with previous form data (EIA-860A/860B)". eia.gov. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020.
- ^ a b c "PacifiCorp details early Bridger, Naughton coal closures". WyoFile. October 3, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^ "General Chemical Green River Power Plant". Global Energy Monitor. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- ^ "Genesis Alkali". Genesis Energy LLC. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- ^ "Laramie River Station". Global Energy Monitor. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- ^ a b "Black Hills Corp. closes coal unit at Wyodak Neil Simpson complex in Gillette". Casper Star Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
- ^ a b "Neil Simpson Power Plants". Global Energy Monitor. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- ^ "Wygen Station". Global Energy Monitor. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- ^ "Wygen II". Global Energy Monitor. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- ^ "Wygen III". Global Energy Monitor. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- ^ "PacifiCorp: early closure of Wyo coal plants saves $599 million". WyoFile. September 10, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^ "Wyodak Power Plant". Global Energy Monitor. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- ^ "Wyodak Mine". Global Energy Monitor. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Wyoming Distributed Generation". Basin Electric Power Cooperative. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Barber Creek". Energy Justice Network. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "Beaver Creek Gas Plant". Energy Justice Network. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ Laura Hancock (September 23, 2015). "Oil recovery plant breaks ground in Riverton Wyoming". Billings Gazette.
- ^ "Cheyenne Prairie Generating Station". Black Hills Corporation. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Sinclair Wyoming Refining Company". Sinclair. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ "Our Facilities". Great Western Sugar Coop. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ Joshua Wolfson (November 28, 2018). "After 95 years, Torrington sugar beet plant to stop production". Casper Star Tribune.
- ^ "Elk Basine Gasoline Waste Plant WY". Global Energy Observatory. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ Dan Kubek (March 30, 2009). "Large CO2 sources and capture systems: ExxonMobil LaBarge-Shute Creek, WY Natural Gas Plant" (PDF). Gas Processing Solutions LLC.
- ^ "Simplot Phosphates" (PDF). www.simplot.com. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ "Project Profile - Waste Heat to Electricity In Fertilizer Manufacturing" (PDF). Simplot Leasing Corp. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
- ^ "Alcova Powerplant". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Boysen Powerplant". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Buffalo Bill Powerplant". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Fontenelle Powerplant". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Freemont Canyon Powerplant". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Glendo Powerplant". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Guernsey Powerplant". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Heart Mountain Powerplant". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Kortes Powerplant". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Pilot Butte Powerplant". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Scott D. Heiner and Rheba Massey (August 30, 1991). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Salt River Hydroelectric Plant Historic District". National Park Service. and accompanying nine photos from 1992-93
- ^ "Seminoe Powerplant". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Shoshone Powerplant". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Spirit Mountain Powerplant". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Strawberry Creek Hydro Plant". Global Energy Observatory. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "Clean Renewable Energy Bonds fund rehab of 1.55-MW Wyoming hydro". Hydro Review. June 12, 2008.
- ^ "Upper Swift Creek". Canyon Hydro. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Power, Southern. "Southern Power's South Cheyenne Solar Facility in Wyoming is now operational". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "Sweetwater". Swinerton Renewable Energy. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "United States Wind Turbine Database Viewer". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ Erickson, Camille (October 21, 2019). "Work on Wyoming's largest wind farm project continues even as schedule changes". Casper Star-Tribune Online. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
- ^ Matthew Bandyk (October 25, 2019). "Largest planned wind farm in US gets key federal approval". Utility Dive.