Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Fund topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Appropriations committee advances Energy Dominance Fund amid industry backing and scope questions
Summary
Senate File 123, the Wyoming Energy Dominance Fund, cleared the committee 5‑2 after industry witnesses urged the bill’s ability to support coal innovation, enhanced oil recovery and critical minerals. Members pressed for clarity on eligible projects and noted language that excludes wind and solar from loan eligibility.
The House Appropriations Committee voted to advance Senate File 123, a broad measure creating a Wyoming Energy Dominance Fund to support projects such as coal innovation, enhanced oil recovery, energy exports, and critical‑mineral processing.
Pete Obermueller of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming and Travis De Tarr of the Mining Association said industry supports the bill, arguing the fund could help preserve production, support port or export infrastructure and enable development of uranium conversion and rare‑earth processing. Obermueller said the fund contains no direct appropriation but would redirect a severance tax percentage and that investments in production projects have high returns to state revenue.
Committee members probed the bill’s wide authority for grants and loans and sought explicit prohibitions. A staff member noted language on page 8 that prohibits loans for wind and solar projects; members raised additional questions about whether the bill addresses nuclear waste storage. Representative Pendergraft cited the list of eligible uses, which explicitly names coal, natural gas, enhanced oil recovery and critical minerals but does not list wind and solar.
Representative Allman moved to report the bill; Representative Angelos seconded. The committee approved Senate File 123 on a roll call vote of five aye to two no. The meeting adjourned after the votes.
