The Buzz: America runs on Wyoming

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

By Jake Nichols

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Wyoming is a state blessed with a wealth of energy resources. From fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas, to today’s fashionable renewable resources—wind and solar—the Equality State makes bank on the power withheld within her borders. With so much at hand, Wyoming’s exiguous populace couldn’t possibly consume it all in a thousand lifetimes—a balance sheet discrepancy that shields the state from national economy fluctuations and in the black year after year.

Coal
Wyoming mines more coal than any other state. In 2007, the Powder River Basin alone produced 436 million short tons of coal, more than twice the production of second-place West Virginia, and more than the entire Appalachian region. An estimated reserve of 68 billion tons still waits to be tapped, mainly in the Powder and Green river basins.

Wyoming’s coal is sub-bituminous. It doesn’t burn as hot as Appalachian coal but it burns much cleaner. When air pollution became a greater concern and federal regulations constricted emissions for coal-fired power plants, Wyoming’s coal suddenly became in vogue. Wyoming has 13 coal-fired power plants producing electricity in state.

Wyoming coal is exported domestically and around the world. Two giant companies—Peabody Energy and Arch Coal—recently announced major exporting deals that will open up the coal-hungry markets of China, Japan, India and other Asian nations.

A value-added $2.7 billion coal-to-liquids plant has been in the works since 2004. Medicine Bow Fuel and Power anticipates the facility should be up and running by 2015. It was announced last week that a major buyer has already been lined up for the gasoline the plant will produce.

Natural Gas/Petroleum
According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), Wyoming is the second-leading producer of natural gas and the seventh-leading producer of oil in the United States. Nearly all of the state’s oil and gas is exported via pipeline. Utility companies nationwide are increasingly opting for natural gas over coal because of the lower emissions. A mild winter across the U.S. has kept natural gas process low for now, but newly discovered extraction technology, including directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing, makes natural gas a strong play for years to come.
A 680-mile Ruby Pipeline—from Opal, Wyo., to Malin, Ore.—was put in service on July 28, 2011. The 42-inch interstate pipeline pumps Jonah Field natural gas to Western markets.

Wind
Even with state subsidies set to expire, wind power remains a good bet for Wyoming into the future. The state’s high altitude plains make for ideal potential, ranking Wyoming tenth in the nation for overall installed wind capacity and it has the eighth highest potential of wind energy resources, according to a 2011 American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) review.

Two major obstacles remain, however, in harnessing the power of wind. First, exportation of wind-generated electricity will require significant legacy costs. Some trunk line has been established within the state but infrastructure is far from ready. Wind power generation is also fairly inefficient. For their size and scope, fields of turbines called ‘wind farms’ produce a dismally low amount of megawatts.
There are currently 14 wind power projects up and running or underway in Wyoming. Wind energy accounts for 6 percent of the total electricity generated instate.

Hydropower
Wyoming does not have a lot of water but what it does have is usually moving rapidly thanks to the state’s rugged geographical features. Wyoming has long-depended on hydropower dams, dating back to the early 1900s. While hydropower generation is considered small and seasonal, it is consistent and dependable.

There are 15 hydropower plants on 10 reservoirs in the state. Thirteen of these are operated by the Bureau of Reclamation and two by private companies. The total hydropower generation capacity in Wyoming is 299.6 MW.

Uranium
Though uranium is not an energy source, the mineral is used as fuel in nuclear power generation.

“Wyoming is actually pretty blessed with uranium reserves,” State Geologist Tom Drean says. In fact, the Equality State mines more uranium than any other—0.36 quadrillion BTUs per year. As the price of uranium continues to climb, many major uranium plays like Atlantic City and Jeffrey City are opening back up after being left for ghost towns decades ago.

Trona
Wyoming possesses the largest known reserve of trona in the world. Trona is used for manufacturing glass, paper, soaps, baking soda, water softeners, and pharmaceuticals. In 2008, Wyoming produced 46 million short tons of trona, fully 25 percent of the world’s production.

photo by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile
Haul trucks wait to be loaded at the Belle Ayr mine south of Gillette in this 2009 photo. Wyoming coal mines employ about 6,900 miners.

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The Buzz: America runs on Wyoming | Planet JH News Article: General News

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