Panel advances bill to study consumptive water uses including data centers and hydrogen production
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Summary
House Bill 90 would direct the state engineer to study uses that permanently remove water from the cycle—such as data centers, carbon capture and hydrogen production—and the committee added an extension to the study timeline before voting do pass.
The House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 17 voted to advance House Bill 90, which directs the state engineer to study consumptive water uses that permanently remove water from Wyoming’s hydrologic cycle.
Representative Strauch, the sponsor, told the committee the study will focus on new industrial entrants—data centers, carbon-capture equipment, hydrogen production—and clarified it would not apply retroactively to existing uses. "This will be focused just on our new stuff that's coming in. Nothing that we already have going in our industries," Strauch said.
Committee members asked when the state engineer's report would be completed. Representatives and the sponsor noted the engineer requested more time; the committee adopted an amendment adding two years to the study schedule. Transcript discussion referenced report dates (11/01/2026 initially) and an extension to 2028, with corresponding appropriation reversion dates adjusted to allow the additional work.
After brief discussion, the committee moved the bill "do pass" and the roll call recorded 'Aye' votes. The amendment and the new schedule will be reflected as the bill moves forward.