Wyoming is one of the windiest places in the USA outside of the natural wind belt and one of the few western states with plenty of wind potential.
NREL validates the wind resource available in the state of Wyoming on their map.
As the wind belt naturally moves south, Wyoming has wind blowing in a direction easily detectable amongst the western states and off the center of the Midwest.
Renewable energy projects in the state are plenty, and every wind energy project brings a clean energy future amid the backdrop of mountain ranges in the state.
The state has an underutilized wind resource, and Wyoming does not have an active carbon pricing program.
The slow growth of the wind industry in Wyoming is also attributable to its low population and density, providing a lower tax base. Its population is the 50th and last in the USA, which at 570,000, is lower than Alaska.
With a large land size–10th largest state in the USA by area–and a low population density, the state is a good candidate for wind energy. For every square mile–less than six people occupy the area.
Why is Wyoming so windy?
The geography of Wyoming is attractive for wind farm projects. It sits in a special zone where the low-pressure winds from the great basin push back the winds from the plains, which have higher pressure and higher speeds.
What is the potential of Wyoming for wind energy?
The potential of wind power in Wyoming is significant–observe the wind resource map from AWS true power and NREL. Much of the map is covered in violet and orange, indicating that the wind speeds at 80 meters height are 6 to 8 meters per second.
Also, the winds to the northwest are weaker, suggesting that these winds are from a different weather system. This wind pattern shows that the state has a variety of turbine designs and wind farm designs to work with to capture wind power.
The wind speeds are also strong even at 50 meters, falling within the category of fair to good, or wind power class 3 to 4.
The wind speeds are also viable at 30 meters within residential wind turbine heights. The majority of the areas in the state are within 6 to 8 meters per second wind speeds.
Will Wyoming shift to wind energy from coal?
Within the state, there is some resistance to the development of wind farms and the closure of coal mines. However, some cattle ranchers welcome the shift. Landowners are reinvesting into their cattle with the extra profits they get from the rental of wind turbines.
As the Biden administration pushes wind energy projects, more subsidies are ready from the government to support commercial-scale wind projects. Meanwhile, the coal plants continue to decline in production.
However, coal remains vastly popular as an energy resource, accounting for three-fourths of electricity generation in the state.
How many wind farms are in Wyoming?
There are a total of 32 wind farms in the state of Wyoming. The state’s oldest wind farm, Medicine Bow, was built in 1998 and had only 2 turbines.
How much power does Wyoming produce from wind energy?
The generous wind in Wyoming allows the state to harness as much as 3,178 GW of installed capacity and a total of 19.5% of the state’s electricity production. This production is nearly a quarter of coal’s output and way ahead of natural gas.
| Wyoming Power Source | 2021 Share of Power |
|---|---|
| Coal | 73% |
| Wind | 20% |
| Natural Gas | 3% |
| Hydro | 2% |
| Solar | 1% |
| Other | 1% |
Wyoming’s coal industry dominates the electricity generation of the state at 73%. Other fossil fuels and oil account for less than 1%.
The installed capacity of wind power in Wyoming ranks 16th among the states of the USA, showing its energy sector’s wind development.
How many wind turbines are there in Wyoming?
There are a total of 1,520 wind turbines operating in Wyoming.
What is the largest wind farm in Wyoming?
The largest wind farm in Wyoming in terms of the number of turbines and capacity is Cedar Springs. Its wind operations use 200 turbines, all of which were commissioned by 2020.
Other large wind farms include:
- TB Flats (503 MW) – owned by Rocky Mountain Power
- Ekola Flats (229 MW) – owned by Rocky Mountain Power
- Roundhouse (226 MW) – owned by NextEra Energy Resources (NEER)
- Top of the World (200 MW) – owned by Duke Energy Renewables
Who owns the largest windmills in Wyoming?
Cedar Springs Transmission owns Cedar Springs Wind Farm, the largest wind farm in Wyoming.
What is the tallest turbine in Wyoming?
The tallest wind turbines in Wyoming are in Cedar Springs Win Farm, with 175 turbines 89 meters high.
What are the five largest wind farms in Wyoming?
The top five wind farms in the state carry more than half of all installed wind energy capacity in Wyoming.
| Wind Farm | Owner | Capacity Factor |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Springs | Cedar Springs Transmission | 534 MW |
| TB Flats | Rocky Mountain Power | 503 MW |
| Ekola Flats | Rocky Mountain Power | 229 MW |
| Roundhouse | NextEra Energy Resources | 226 MW |
| Top of the World | Duke Energy Renewables | 200 MW |
Is Wyoming good for wind power?
The short answer is yes, but more investments are needed to improve transmission lines.
Most wind resources are available in the eastern portion of the state and Southern Wyoming. Another good opportunity is that the state’s eastern side is near the highways. There, transmission lines can get built and is nearby urban areas.
Moreover, Wyoming ranks fifth in the country in the size of lands owned by the federal government. These federally owned areas can be utilized for wind farms if viable.
What are the expansion plans of the wind industry in Wyoming?
Transmission lines are now approved to be constructed as of June 2022, after the Bureau of Land Management gave PacifiCorp the permit to build the Energy Gateway South transmission line. Once built, the towers will deliver electricity from wind farms in Medicine Bow to central Utah.
Most of these western states have few wind resources available within their borders. PacifiCorp plans to create a transmission line 2,000 miles long, connecting Wyoming to Utah, Idaho, and Washington. Two other transmission line projects are PacifiCorp’s Gateway West and TransWest Express.
The transmission lines are expected to be operational by 2025.