While San Francisco and New York exemplify progressive governance, they increasingly lack a crucial element: land. Consequently, green energy firms, buoyed by federal funding and eco-friendly promotions, are focusing on rural large-scale wind and solar installations and carbon capture pipelines. Despite their eco-conscious branding, these initiatives frequently disrupt the local environment and encounter significant community opposition.
Paradoxically, several of these projects that have been critical of Joe Biden are now advancing with the backing of Republican leaders who have embraced one of his key policy proposals. A recent illustration of this is found in eastern Wyoming.
Salt landowners in Wyoming are anticipated to give up their wealth so that multinational firms can pay extra to meet the climate credentials of their retail clients and investors.
Last Thursday, the state land board approved a 40-year lease for two independent wind farm projects funded by international companies on public land in Converse and Niobrara County. The board is comprised of the governor, secretary of state, state auditors, state treasurer, and public officials.
Secretary of State Chuck Gray, the sole conservative among Republican leaders, cast the lone dissenting vote on both projects. Most local residents opposed the wind farm efforts, but their objections were largely disregarded.
The issue isn’t merely about aesthetics concerning coal and natural gas; it also raises reliability concerns. Instead of providing consistent electricity, wind farms frequently operate as economic burdens, utilizing excessive resources for minimal power output.
Local authorities have voiced worries regarding the significant water usage required for these wind farms, but such concerns have been overlooked.
Typically, power suppliers gain public endorsement by offering more benefits than downsides. However, these wind projects fail to supply energy for the local population. The electricity generated is redirected to new industries, leading to a grim context. Investors are looking to use land and water in eastern Wyoming to create carbon-offset hydrogen jet fuel.
In the end, rural inhabitants are being sacrificed for dubious scientific claims and corporate virtue signaling. The natural landscapes and resources of Wyoming are being depleted to satisfy the environmental pretensions of companies far removed from the local community’s needs.
The first initiative, spearheaded by Sidewinder H2 LLC, will encompass roughly 120,000 acres about 10 miles west of Lusk. The second smaller project, managed by Pronghorn H2 LLC, will span 46,000 acres 20 miles east of Casper. Both are based in Delaware but operate as subsidiaries of Acciona and Nordex Green Hydrogen, a collaboration between Spain’s Acciona and Germany’s Nordex.
Additionally, Acciona’s US venture page mentions their pursuit of "decarbonization" in the U.S. They criticize the Paris Climate Agreement for being insufficient, pushing for a rapid transition to renewable sources. Their objective is to reach "net zero" emissions through the "unretirement" of the energy sector and a "severance from fossil fuels."
Why are Republicans facilitating large land transfers in states that they have secured decisively? When pledging to eliminate "new green scams," why are they conceding land to foreign energy entities aiming to phase out fossil fuel usage?
Why is the Republican leadership enabling green energy businesses—many receiving funding from Biden’s Climate Agenda—to exploit Wyoming’s natural resources while compensating local landowners in the name of a global "carbon offset"?
The reality is that Governor Mark Gordon and his allies are undermining the fundamental trust between state officials and the people of Wyoming.
During a recent board gathering, Chuck Gray inquired of Paul Martin, president of Focus Clean Energy, why these companies couldn’t utilize “traditional” methods instead of consuming extensive land. Martin’s reply was striking.
"They likely want to show their global objectives and various clients that they are lessening their carbon emissions," Martin stated. "This indicates they are willing to pay more for products that have undergone this elaborate process."
In essence, it is anticipated that multi-generational salt landowners in Wyoming will relinquish their property so global corporations can pay higher rates to showcase climate compliance to their retail customers and investors.
Indeed, that’s accurate.
Conservative landowners in the state are starting to acquire green energy land, though legislative advancements are sluggish. Recently, Arizona passed a bill prohibiting wind and solar projects near residential zones. In Arkansas, lawmakers are considering multiple measures to restrict or completely ban such developments. Similar disputes are surfacing in the Oklahoma Legislature.
Nevertheless, no state has enacted new legislation in this session. Some counties have started taking action at the local level.
In Wyoming, residents must clearly express their stance. If companies seek to present virtue signals, they should do so on their own properties in areas like San Francisco or Los Angeles. To protect the vast, unencumbered land that characterizes Wyoming, voters must elect Republicans who genuinely embody these principles, rather than politicians like Mark Gordon, who appear to prioritize interests outside the state.
