Sources of Wyoming electricity generation: full-year 2022 [1]
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 had the smallest population in the U.S. in 2019, and 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]
Wyoming had no utility-scale nuclear facilities in 2019. 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]
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration serves as a general reference. [6]
Name | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MW) | Number of Steam Turbine Units | Year Completed | Retirement Schedule | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dave Johnston | Converse County | 42°50′16″N105°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″N109°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″N109°48′43″W / 41.6217°N 109.8119°W | 41 | 6 | 1953-1975 | [9] | |
Jim Bridger Power Station | Sweetwater County | 41°44′16″N108°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″N104°52′57″W / 42.1089°N 104.8825°W | 1,710 | 3 | 1981 (Unit 1) 1981 (Unit 2) 1982 (Unit 3) | [10] | |
Neil Simpson I | Campbell County | 44°17′14″N105°23′16″W / 44.2872°N 105.3878°W | 22 | 1 | 1959 | 2014 (closed) | [11] [12] |
Neil Simpson II | Campbell County | 44°17′09″N105°23′00″W / 44.2857°N 105.3833°W | 80 | 1 | 1995 | [12] | |
Naughton Power Plant | Lincoln County | 41°45′29″N110°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] |
Wygen I | Campbell County | 44°17′09″N105°23′00″W / 44.2858°N 105.3833°W | 90 | 1 | 2003 | [13] | |
Wygen II | Campbell County | 44°17′31″N105°22′52″W / 44.2919°N 105.3811°W | 95 | 1 | 2008 | [14] | |
Wygen III | Campbell County | 44°17′31″N105°22′50″W / 44.2919°N 105.3806°W | 116 | 1 | 2010 | [15] | |
Wyodak | Campbell County | 44°17′24″N105°22′53″W / 44.2901°N 105.3815°W | 402.3 | 1 | 1978 | 2038 | [16] [17] [18] |
Name | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MW) | Fuel Type | Generation Type | Year Completed | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beaver Creek Gas Plant | Fremont County | 42°50′51″N108°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″N108°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″N110°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″N107°06′35″W / 41.7795°N 107.1097°W | 1.7 | Other Gases | Steam Turbine (x2) | 1926/1954 | [24] |
Name | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MW) | Generation Type | Year Completed | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lake | Teton County | 44°24′54″N110°34′26″W / 44.4150°N 110.5739°W | 2.7 | Reciprocating Engine | 1967 | |
Old Faithful | Teton County | 44°27′12″N110°50′05″W / 44.4533°N 110.8347°W | 2.0 | Reciprocating Engine (x2) | 1979 | |
Sinclair Oil Refinery | Carbon County | 41°46′46″N107°06′35″W / 41.7795°N 107.1097°W | 1.1 | Reciprocating Engine | 1955 | [24] |
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration serves as a general reference. [6]
Name | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MW) | Fuel Type | Generation Type | Year Completed | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Simplot Phosphates | Sweetwater County | 41°32′30″N109°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.
Wyoming has no utility-scale geothermal facilities. It has a number of small-scale geothermal installations used mostly to heat buildings. [3]
Plant | Location | Coordinates | Capacity (MWAC) | Year Completed | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sweetwater Solar | Sweetwater County | 41°37′45″N109°41′01″W / 41.6291°N 109.6835°W | 92 | 2018 | [48] |
South Cheyenne Solar | Laramie County | 150 | 2024 | [49] |
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. [55] It would be the largest wind farm in the U.S. upon completion, and would serve the western U.S. market thru planned new HVDC transmission capacity. [56]
Wyoming had no utility-scale battery storage facilities in 2019.
Wyoming has one of the highest wind power potentials of any state in the United States. In 2019, Wyoming had wind powered electricity generating capacity of 1,589 MW, which produced 9.85% of its electric generation, with an additional 3,753 MW under construction. However, the wind generation in that year was Wyoming's third-lowest in the 2010s. By 2020, wind capacity increased to 2738 MW and 8448 gigawatt-hours of electricity were produced from wind in 2021, more than double 2019 production. Additional wind capacity and needed transmission lines are under construction or planned, despite political headwinds from Wyoming's strong coal and oil sectors.