Winds of Change in Carbon County

It took more than a decade, but the TransWest Express transmission line will begin construction this year following a "notice to proceed" from the Bureau of Land Management in April of this year.

On June 20, an official groundbreaking held in Carbon County was attended by Governor Mark Gordon along with two Biden Administration cabinet members: Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Secretary of the Interior Deb Halaand. Despite being on opposite sides of the political spectrum, all three appeared to agree on investments in energy infrastructure and addressing the climate crisis.

Wyoming; connecting the nation

Gordon, who has championed an "all-of-the-above" energy approach during his first and second terms in office, lauded the TransWest Express transmission line.

"I was thinking on the way out here, Wyoming was the first state to connect. If it hadn't been for what happened in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the TransContinental Railroad would have been delayed by years. We were able to shortcut the distance that every other railroad was trying to do to connect the east and the west coast," said Gordon. "This Overland Trail Ranch is named after the Overland Trail which was also the Pony Express route. Wyoming has been the center of moving this nation forward for over a century."

Citing this history, Gordon praised COO Roxanne Peruso and CEO Bill Miller for connecting with Wyoming's past to lead it into the future. Granholm had similar comments.

"I want to thank Wyoming for having powered this nation for the past 100 years and thank Wyoming for powering this nation for the next 100 years," said Granholm. "What Wyoming is doing is giving us additional energy security. The fuelstock, for which, happens to be free which is cheaper energy for people as well."

"Way too long"

Granholm also addressed the 15 year timeline from the inception of the 3,000 megawatt transmission line to the groundbreaking.

"It took way too long to get this permitted. We all agree, in the Biden Administration, that we need to accelerate these transmission lines," said Granholm. "The Department of Interior, the Department of Energy and the White House have been working on a process to accelerate these transmission lines in a way that, of course, still protects our natural environment. We can do that and we are intent on doing that."

At more than 700 miles, while the project begins in Carbon County it will make its way through Utah and Nevada to deliver energy to California. Along with going through the permitting processes for Carbon County and Wyoming, Transwest Express LLC-a subsidiary of the Anschutz Corporation-had to go through similar processes in Utah, Nevada and California. Additionally, the project had to undergo National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis.

Jobs and Taxes

While a significant portion of the groundbreaking was focused on what Wyoming would be sending to California in the form of energy, Granholm and Halaand brought up job creation and tax revenue.

"In addition to the powerhouse that Wyoming is, Wyoming gets a lot from this as well. Wyoming is going to get tax revenue from this, almost $1 billion worth of tax revenue that's going to Wyoming and the other three states," said Granholm. "There's going to be property tax revenue as well as sales revenue."

According to Granholm, more than 1,000 jobs would be created during the construction phase of the TransWest Express transmission line.

"It is really important to be able to create good paying, union jobs in building out our nation's energy infrastructure," said Granholm. "The transmission grid is the largest machine on earth and we need to, essentially, double the size of it in order to get to these goals. So that means a whole lot of work for a whole lot of union workers across the country in every pocket of America."

Climate Crisis

Gordon and Halaand also used the groundbreaking to comment on the climate crisis.

"At the Department of the Interior, we know the time to act on the climate is now. In coastal towns, rural towns, urban centers and tribal communities climate change poses an existential threat not just to our environment but to our health, our communities and our economic well being," said Halaand. "As we look to stem the worsening impacts of the climate crisis, we know that clean energy transmission lines and renewable energy projects on public lands will help communities across the country be part of the climate solution while creating good paying jobs."

The governor, meanwhile, discussed climate change in relation to carbon capture sequestration.

"As we see climate change, we know that we don't have time to waste. We have to move with diligence, forward, to make sure that we address the issue of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere with ... diligence and with dedication. Today, when we're gathered here, we see the first steps that we're taking to make sure that we take the action that's absolutely necessary to keep us from climate peril," said Gordon. "Wyoming was the very first state in the nation to say that we needed to be carbon negative. The work that you're going to see that goes on here, the collaboration we have with partners in the federal government and the private sector, will make that dream come true."

Fewer walls, more windmills

Along with the distinguished guests at the groundbreaking, the ever present Wyoming wind was in attendance as well. On that particular day, it seemed the perfect place for the construction of the Chokecherry-Sierra Madre wind farm-a subsidiary of the Anschutz Corporation-which will be the largest of its kind on land with a capacity of more than 3,000 megawatts.

"There's an old proverb that says 'When the winds of change blow, some put up walls, some put up windmills,'" said Granholm.