Wind Power Catches A Mountain Breeze

THE STORY OF CARBON COUNTY, WYOMING, CAN BE TOLD in its name. The 8,000-sq.-mi. jurisdiction first appeared on the map—figuratively and literally—in the 1860s along with the development of its vast coal reserve. That energy source, the black gold of the 19th century, defined the region’s economy for more than 100 years.

- Justin Worland

Now, Carbon County is vying for a place at the forefront of America’s growing clean-power economy. Years after the last coal mine closed, the area’s new energy entrepreneurs see opportunity not down in the ground but up in the air, where they are trying to turn the Cowboy State into a key supplier of wind power for the West Coast.

The demand is rooted in a series of legally binding renewable-energy targets adopted by California, Oregon and Washington State. In California, which set the most aggressive goals, 33% of the state’s power must come from sources such as wind and solar by 2020, and 50% by 2030. Those sources currently account for around 27%, and California doesn’t produce enough of its own clean energy to keep pace––let alone meet its ambitious timeline.