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Laramie Range Wind Project Approved After Two-Day Hearing
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The Wyoming Industrial Siting Council approved the Laramie Range Wind Project, clearing the way for a 650-megawatt wind farm with up to 139 turbines across 41,220 acres roughly 20 miles north of Cheyenne. Kate Meadows of Cowboy State Daily reported the decision came after a contentious two-day hearing and that the council attached 26 conditions to the permit; Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Jillian Scott said the order and permit will take effect in about 45 days. The proposal, filed by ConnectGen Laramie County LLC, an affiliate of Repsol Renewables North America Inc., is smaller than the plan county commissioners rejected in September 2025 and is now scheduled to be built in two phases with construction targeted to start by the fourth quarter of 2027.
Key takeaways
- The Industrial Siting Council approved a 650-megawatt Laramie Range Wind Project with up to 139 turbines on 41,220 acres about 20 miles north of Cheyenne.
- ConnectGen Laramie County LLC, an affiliate of Repsol Renewables North America Inc., plans two phases: 400 megawatts first, then 250 megawatts, with both phases expected operational by the end of 2029.
- The unanimous approval included 26 conditions and an order and permit that will go into effect in about 45 days, Wyoming DEQ spokesperson Jillian Scott said.
- Repsol’s application totals 1,876 pages and estimates roughly $1.1 billion in capital investment, about $32.8 million in local sales and use tax during construction, and roughly $194 million in property and production tax revenues over 35 years.
Table of contents
Council approval, conditions and the hearing’s disruptions
The council approved the Laramie Range Wind Project after an intensive two-day public hearing held at Laramie County Community College. Jillian Scott, a spokesperson for the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, said the permit was granted unanimously and that the final order and permit will go into effect in about 45 days. Project representatives were not immediately available for comment after the decision.
Public participation was strong and at times fractious. Ranching advocate Wendy Volk, whose property borders the project area, and conservation groups pressed the council on safety, access, wildlife and community impacts. Much of the first day was livestreamed, but organizers shut down the Zoom feed after reports of a hacker; authorities identified an email address that has been delivered to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. Opponents complained that the remainder of the hearing was not available to virtual viewers.
Project design, timeline and the economic case
ConnectGen Laramie County LLC, an affiliate of Repsol Renewables North America Inc., filed a permit application that runs 1,876 pages and includes 85 tables. The company says the site was chosen for its strong wind resource, proximity to high-voltage transmission and buildable terrain. The plan covers about 35,350 acres of private land and 5,870 acres of state land, for a total footprint of 41,220 acres.
Construction is described as a two-phase build: a 400-megawatt first phase and a second phase adding 250 megawatts, for 650 megawatts in total. The application targets a start in the fourth quarter of 2027 and expects both phases to be operational by the end of 2029. Infrastructure would include up to 139 turbines, underground and overhead collection systems, a 345-kilovolt overhead transmission line, up to three substations, a 345-kilovolt switchyard, an operations and maintenance building, as many as seven meteorological towers, about 94 miles of access roads and 13.6 miles of electric transmission line.
Repsol’s submission forecasts a 24-month construction window with an average of 131 workers on site, a workforce that can fall below 20 at low points and peak at about 305 workers in the third quarter of 2028. The application estimates roughly $32.8 million in Laramie County sales and use tax revenue during construction, about $1.1 billion of capital investment and approximately $194 million in property and production tax revenues over 35 years.
Wildlife, local opposition and cumulative-development concerns
Wildlife impact has been a central point of contention. Repsol says it has incorporated mitigation measures, including an artificial-intelligence system intended to detect eagles and temporarily stop turbines if an eagle comes within about a kilometer. Albany County Conservancy representative Ann Brande told reporters she does not credit Repsol with fully understanding Wyoming’s wildlife and urged deeper study.
Opponents and some local officials have also raised a broader planning question: whether approving projects one by one lets a landscape-scale industrial corridor take shape without a coordinated review. Critics have dubbed the pattern the “Wyoming Wind Wall,” pointing to nearby projects such as the 26,000-acre Rail Tie Wind project in Albany County and the recently approved Chugwater Wind, Solar and Lithium Battery project. That cumulative-impact argument underpinned much of the public testimony at the hearing and remains an unresolved policy debate in the state.
| Item | Size / Amount | Timing | Source / Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project footprint | 41,220 acres (35,350 private; 5,870 state) | N/A | ConnectGen / Repsol |
| Installed capacity | 650 megawatts (139 turbines) | Operational by end of 2029 | ConnectGen / Repsol |
| Construction workforce | Average 131; peak ~305 | 24-month construction, peak Q3 2028 | Permit application |
| Local tax revenue (construction) | $32.8 million | During 24-month construction | Permit application |
| Capital investment | $1.1 billion (approx.) | N/A | Permit application |
Case for and case against the project
The case for
- The project promises economic returns: an estimated $1.1 billion capital investment, roughly $32.8 million in local sales and use tax during construction and about $194 million in property and production taxes over 35 years.
- Connection to existing high-voltage transmission and the Tri-State Generation and Transmission system reduces the need for long new corridors and supports faster grid integration.
The case against
- Wildlife impacts remain unresolved despite mitigation proposals; opponents question whether AI detection and turbine shutdown will meaningfully reduce bird and raptor mortality at landscape scale.
- Broad local opposition and the cumulative-development argument — the so-called "Wyoming Wind Wall" — increase political and permitting friction and could prompt additional state-level scrutiny or litigation over how multiple projects are reviewed together.
What to be careful about
- Persistent local and regional opposition that cites safety, access and viewshed issues could prompt legal challenges or additional administrative reviews despite the council’s permit.
- Wildlife mitigation measures, including the AI eagle-detection system, may not meet regulators’ or conservation groups’ standards and could trigger permit conditions or operational limits.
- Technical or security incidents tied to public engagement (the Zoom hack during the hearing) have already disrupted the process and could erode trust or delay future outreach.
- Meeting the construction timeline depends on supply-chain and workforce assumptions that peak at about 305 workers in Q3 2028; delays or labor shortfalls would push back operations and local revenue timing.
The bottom line
The council’s permit clears a major proposal for southeastern Wyoming but does not end the debate. The Laramie Range Wind Project brings clear economic promises—hundreds of construction jobs, millions in local tax revenue during build and long-term property and production taxes—while opponents press unresolved concerns about wildlife, ranching operations and the cumulative effect of multiple projects across the same landscape. The next tangible milestones to watch are the council’s formal order taking effect in about 45 days, the planned start of construction in the fourth quarter of 2027 and the application’s projected workforce peak in the third quarter of 2028.
What to watch
- Watch for the council’s formal order and permit to take effect, about 45 days after the decision.
- Watch for construction to begin by the fourth quarter of 2027, as stated in the project application.
- Watch for the construction workforce to peak in the third quarter of 2028, when the application estimates about 305 workers on site.
Frequently asked questions
How large is the approved project in capacity and land area?
The council approved a 650-megawatt project with up to 139 turbines sited on 41,220 acres, comprising about 35,350 acres of private land and 5,870 acres of state land.
Who is proposing and building the project?
ConnectGen Laramie County LLC, an affiliate of Repsol Renewables North America Inc., filed the permit application and is listed as the project proponent in the application.
When would construction and operation occur?
The application targets construction to begin by the fourth quarter of 2027, with both phases expected to be operational by the end of 2029.
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