Wyoming is globally famous for its consistent and powerful wind. Since 1999, those natural resources have been harnessed to create electricity for Wyoming and neighboring states, with 3,236 megawatts of utility-scale wind power capacity online as of the end of 2023. Existing and planned wind power projects represent billions of dollars of new investment in Wyoming’s power sector.
Wind energy utilizes the natural force of wind currents to move blades on a turbine to generate electricity. The turbines that generate electricity from wind energy work by turning the propeller-like blades around a rotor. This rotor spins a generator, which converts wind power into electricity. A wind turbine works similarly to an airplane wing or a helicopter rotor blade, utilizing the wind’s power to create motion and, ultimately, electricity. Wind turbines are usually installed in areas with strong and consistent wind speeds and can be used to generate electricity for both homes and businesses.
Wyoming’s geography is a natural advantage for wind energy production. The state’s mountain passes funnel sustained winds across the prairie lands, enabling wind farms to operate at a high capacity. Wind energy is the second-largest electricity producer in the state of Wyoming, with nearly 10 million megawatt-hours of electricity produced in 2022, and is the fastest-growing renewable energy sector. Southeast Wyoming has one of the densest concentrations of high-class wind energy potential in the country. Vast open spaces with an average wind speed of greater than 23 MPH create an environment ideal for producing wind-generated electricity.
Wyoming saw its first experimental wind turbines in Medicine Bow in 1982, followed by the establishment of the first utility-scale wind power project in 1999. Over the last four decades, Wyoming’s wind capacity has increased significantly, surpassing 3,000 megawatts of installed capacity by 2021. By 2023, wind power accounted for 21% of the state’s electricity generation, making it the leading renewable energy source and contributing nearly 90% of Wyoming’s renewable energy. With regard to total installed wind power capacity, Wyoming ranks 17th among U.S. states. Converse County and Carbon County hold the 13th and 14th rankings among all U.S. counties, respectively. As of 2023, the electric generation and transmission sector had an assessed valuation of $800 million, positioning it as the second-largest industry in the non-mineral taxpayer category.
Wyoming wind production is growing. The Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project, a utility-scale wind farm outside of Rawlins, is under construction and scheduled to be completed in 2029. With an expected nameplate capacity of at least 3,500 megawatts, this independent or wholesale power project is planned to be the largest single power plant in Wyoming, the largest single wind power project in North America and one of the largest wind power plants in the world. The project is also estimated to generate enough electricity to power over 1 million households. It is one of few wind power projects nationwide to be located in part on federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management under its multiple-use mandate.
