Gov. Matt Mead tours Dry Fork Station, a fueled power plant in Cambell County. Wyoming is the largest producer of coal in the nation.
The state is the leading producer of coal in the nation, and may soon be expanding its resource infrastructure so as to keep up with technologically advancing fields.
“Wyoming and many private companies have invested significantly in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) research,” Mead said in a release. “I want to advance the conversation to look at what happens when CCS technology is commercially viable and to try to add value to CO2, which has significant potential as a resource.”
Beyond simply building and utilizing such a facility for production, the governor wants UW research to occur there as well.
This would increase the university’s outreach presence in the state, and generate revenue and resource capacity.
Renny MacKay, Governor Mead’s Communication Director outlined the financial breakdown of how much of the project’s expense would go directly to the involvement of UW research teams.
“12 million dollars would go directly towards the design and construction of the facility, and the remaining three million would specifically be for the inclusion of the University’s teams.” Said MacKay.
The Governor’s proposal is still in its early stages, however. At this point in time, Governor Mead has only asked that the 15 million be put aside in the budget for use when a design plan is formerly approved by legislation.
“The Joint Appropriations Committee voted on a budget last Friday, and that budget does include this proposal. MacKay said. “It will now move onto be debated by legislators, so it’s still very much in its early stages.”
This proposal would help to firmly place Wyoming in a leading position for technological innovation and economic advancement in the coal industry. As long as coal is the leading energy source in the nation, this plan could bode well for everyone involved.
President Obama spoke towards his energy policy during his recent State of the Union address last Tuesday, specifically stating that an “all of the above” energy policy will be what his administration continues to favor. This “all of the above” policy exists in an effort to utilize all forms of energy resources. Not all facets of the energy industry approve of the plan, however, with certain companies and oil/coal spokespeople claiming that the policy is a way in which to inhibit mining and drilling without overtly condemning the tow industries.
The Governor’s office remains unconcerned with President Obama’s stance on energy policy, however.
“This really isn’t anything new.” Stated MacKay. “The President’s administration has had basically the same energy goals for the last several years, and we don’t expect anything like that to affect this process, or its potential benefits.”
The specific location for the facility has still yet to be decided, but MacKay indicated it will be constructed in tandem with any existing coal fired power plants. There are several of these plants already operating within the state, so the final location of the carbon capture research facility could be approved for construction at any one of these places. Whichever county ends up being the receiver of this multi-million dollar facility could see large economic benefits.
“CO2 is extremely expensive right now, so if you can find different ways in which to utilize it, there can be a lot of potential there,” said MacKay.
