An investment by Rocky Mountain Power will bring workers to Sweetwater County as part of a project to complete a segment of the Gateway West transmission line the company intends to complete in 2020.
The company’s plan, known as Energy Vision 2020, involves a $3.5 billion investment from Rocky Mountain Power focusing on growing and upgrading its wind energy projects.
By 2020, the company intends to have up to 1,100 megawatts of new wind generation through improving the company’s current wind turbines, which are mostly located in Carbon County, with longer blades and newer technology to increase energy production and extend the life of those projects.
The transmission line will come into the northeastern portion of Sweetwater County and run 140 miles of 500-kilowatt line to the company’s Anticline Substation, south of the Jim Bridger Power Plant.
The project is also expected to add $115 million in construction-based tax revenue and $14 million in annual wind and property tax revenue starting in 2021.
“This doesn’t mean our company is backing away from coal,” Rita Meyer, Vice President of Rocky Mountain Power in Wyoming, said. “We’re pro coal.”
Meyer said the company has plans for $900 million in investments into its coal-based power generation systems and does not plan early closures of its coal power plants. She said the company anticipates a mixture of power sources, but plans to continue relying on coal for most of its electrical generation.
While coal will continue to be the main focus for Rocky Mountain Power, Meyer admits wind energy generation continues to become more cost effective as improvements are devised to better capture wind power.
Meyer said while Carbon County and Rock Springs will benefit from the construction projects Rocky Mountain Power will commission, Meyer believes Green River will also see increased activity from workers as well.
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