Cheyenne committee discusses $464,827 MOU for Chugwater wind project impact assistance; no committee recommendation

Amber Ash, chief of staff, presented a proposed resolution Oct. 21 authorizing the mayor to execute a memorandum of understanding allocating impact-assistance funds associated with the Chugwater Wind Energy Project application before the Industrial Siting Council.

Ash said the city’s request totals $464,827. Using a cost-of-service approach based on estimated worker housing and a two-year average budget for fiscal years 2027–28, staff calculated impacts by estimating the number of workers likely to be housed in nearby communities. Ash said $430,827 of the request reflects housing-related impacts and $34,000 covers turbine-rescue training ($20,000) and equipment ($10,000) plus $4,000 for a 10-person response at $500 per hour.

Council members asked whether the industry application included studies of environmental and wildlife impacts, and whether NextEra (the applicant) faces any legal actions; staff said the application submitted to the Industrial Siting Division (ISD) contains environmental and impact studies and that staff could forward the application to councilors. Staff clarified that the project is sited in Platte County and not in Laramie County, but that Cheyenne and Laramie County anticipate impacts because limited worker housing in the project area could push workers into Cheyenne.

Councilor Esquivel moved to adopt the resolution; a second was not recorded and the item did not receive a committee recommendation. Several members said the matter warrants fuller discussion by the city council. Staff said they had contacted the entities listed in the applicant’s submission (they identified approximately 30 jurisdictions) and that affected jurisdictions across Platte, Goshen and Laramie counties are negotiating an allocation of approximately $12 million in impact-assistance the ISD identified as potentially available for the project.