Wind Energy in Wyoming: Relatively Cheap in a
Competitive Western Market

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By Matt Joyce/AP

CHEYENNE — Wind developers can produce some of the cheapest wind energy in the West in Wyoming, according to a new study, but the cost advantage decreases when one accounts for delivering the power to West Coast markets.

The Wyoming Governor’s Office and the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority commissioned the study to compare the cost of developing wind resources in Wyoming and other Western states. The study also considers how Wyoming’s tax structure for wind energy affects the industry here.

“Wyoming is a competitive resource,” said Laura Ladd, energy economics adviser to Gov. Dave Freudenthal. “It’s competing pretty closely with Montana and New Mexico. And while Wyoming has the second highest tax structure of any of the states reviewed, it remains among the top competitive states, principally driven by its high capacity factor.”

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