2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-03191SF0083
SENATE FILE NO. SF0083
Large energy project funding-legislative approval.
Sponsored by: Senator(s) Steinmetz, Boner, Hutchings, Kolb
and Pearson and Representative(s) Bear,
Heiner, Knapp, Rodriguez-Williams, Strock
and Styvar
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to the administration of the government;
2 creating the large energy project funding program;
3 providing requirements for large energy projects; requiring
4 legislative approval for large energy projects; providing
5 definitions; making conforming amendments; specifying
6 applicability; and providing for an effective date.
7
8
9
10. W.S. 9-25-101 and 9-25-102 are created to
11 read:
12
13 CHAPTER 25
14 LARGE ENERGY PROJECT FUNDING 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03192SF0083
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4 (a) As used in this chapter:
5
6 (i) "Awarding entity" means any state or local
7 governmental entity that awards, grants or loans state
8 funds for large energy projects;
9
10 (ii) "Energy project" means any research,
11 demonstration, pilot, commercial deployment or any other
12 project that relates to Wyoming energy needs, including but
13 not limited to carbon capture utilization and storage,
14 carbon dioxide transportation, industrial carbon capture,
15 coal refinery, hydrogen production, energy transportation
16 or storage, hydrogen hub development, critical minerals,
17 biomass, biochar, hydropower, lithium, energy processing
18 and separation, battery storage, wind energy and solar
19 energy;
20
21 (iii) "Governmental entity" means the state, the
22 University of Wyoming, cities and towns, counties, school
23 districts, joint powers boards, airport boards, public 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03193SF0083
1 corporations, entities formed by a county memorial
2 hospital, special hospital district, rural health care
3 district or senior health care district that are wholly
4 owned by one (1) or more governmental entities, community
5 college districts, special districts and their governing
6 bodies, all political subdivisions of the state, and their
7 agencies, instrumentalities and institutions;
8
9 (iv) "Large energy project" means an energy
10 project for which the total amount of state funds sought or
11 previously awarded equals or exceeds four hundred thousand
12 dollars ($400,000.00);
13
14 (v) "State funds" means any funds appropriated
15 or otherwise made available by the state legislature for
16 energy projects.
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18
19
20 (a) Not later than November 1 of each year, each
21 awarding entity shall report to the joint appropriations
22 committee on awards of state funds for large energy
23 projects, including: 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03194SF00831
2 (i) The name of each applicant for and recipient
3 of state funds for a proposed large energy project;
4
5 (ii) The amount of state funds recommended by
6 the awarding entity to be awarded to each recipient for
7 large energy projects;
8
9 (iii) Whether any matching funds are or will be
10 provided in addition to the state funds to be awarded for
11 large energy projects;
12
13 (iv) The amount of state funds awarded and
14 expended for large energy projects in the preceding fiscal
15 year, by large energy project and recipient, for which
16 approval was authorized under subsection (b) of this
17 section.
18
19 (b) Except as otherwise provided by law, no state
20 funds shall be expended for large energy projects except
21 upon legislative authorization or as authorized in this
22 subsection. Following legislative authorization for an
23 awarding entity to award state funds for a large energy 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03195SF0083
1 project, the awarding entity may award additional state
2 funds for that large energy project not to exceed a total
3 of an additional two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000.00)
4 and shall forward a notice of the award of additional state
5 funds to the joint appropriations committee not later than
6 thirty (30) days after each award of additional state
7 funds. Subsequent legislative authorization shall be
8 required for any award of state funds for the specific
9 large energy project in excess of the limits of this
10 subsection. For purposes of this subsection, legislative
11 authorization shall be through the enactment of a bill.
12
13W.S. 9-12-104 by creating a new subsection
14 (c) and 37-5-503 by creating a new subsection (k) are
15 amended to read:
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23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03196SF00831
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7. This act shall apply to all large energy
8 projects for which the legislature appropriates state funds
9 on and after July 1, 2025.
10
11. This act is effective July 1, 2025
12
13 (END)