Rob Krieger, executive director of the Wyoming Energy Authority, told the Joint Appropriations Committee that the review committee recommended a single large project out of the large energy matching fund and the governor approved a $100,000,000 award to BWXT for a nuclear fuel fabrication facility in Gillette.

Krieger described section 3.23 (passed in 2024) as a $100,000,000 large project energy matching fund and said the legislature expressly tasked the WEA with implementing the project review and that the governor has final approval authority. "We entered an MOU, a public MOU with BWXT on this project about a year and a half ago," Krieger said, summarizing WEA's prior work with the company.

Krieger told the committee the large‑project fund defines a state 'participation' threshold of at least $50,000,000, and that BWXT will bring more than $470,000,000 in match to the project. He explained WEA's triannual review cycle and said applications are evaluated internally for match, viability and community impacts before a recommendation goes to the governor for approval. "That was the only project out of that fund," Krieger said, when asked how many applications were received for section 3.23.

Representative Harrelson and others questioned the application timing and the triannual process; Krieger explained the March 1 review batch and the composition of the review committee (WEA director, a governor's office representative, Workforce Services, Business Council, and the state geologist). Krieger said the WEA has been strict about requiring applicants to demonstrate match at the time of application rather than pledging to obtain match later.

Krieger emphasized the award was made by the governor prior to the hearing and that the WEA's role was recommending projects; the committee did not record a committee vote on the award during this session. Krieger offered to provide additional materials on the process and reported that WEA has denied more than $1,000,000,000 in asks across its programs.

Next steps: WEA stands ready to provide the MOU and project materials to committee staff; the project and any necessary permitting, contracts, or follow‑ups will continue under executive and agency oversight.

Sources: Testimony of Rob Krieger, Wyoming Energy Authority.