Cheyenne consultants outline EPA-funded climate plan, flag data-center gap and call for targeted outreach

Consultants from Lotus Engineering and Sustainability presented the “Prospering Together” plan to the Cheyenne City Council on topics related to greenhouse‑gas emissions, community priorities and draft goals for reducing local pollution.

Renee Smith, economic resource administrator for the City of Cheyenne, told the council the city was the lead applicant for an EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant that funds the planning work and that consultants would deliver the final plan and required grant materials after additional analysis and engagement.

Tom Harrod, managing director at Lotus Engineering and Sustainability, said the 2023 greenhouse‑gas inventory for the Cheyenne metropolitan statistical area shows the built environment (homes, businesses and industry) is the largest emissions source and that transportation is the second largest. He said the inventory uses standard scope definitions: scope 1 (direct), scope 2 (electricity) and scope 3 (indirect) emissions.

"This project includes the Cheyenne MSA, which obviously is Laramie County as well, but the city of Cheyenne was the lead applicant and the project manager on that side of the grant," Harrod said.

The consultants presented a business‑as‑usual projection that…