The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) has approved multiple pieces of legislation that support Wyoming's resources. Among the bills approved were two introduced by ENR ranking member John Barrasso (R-WY), namely the Pilot Butte Power Plant Conveyance Act and the Wyoming Public Lands Initiative Act of 2023, both of which passed out of ENR by voice vote.
The Pilot Butte Power Plant Conveyance Act aims to facilitate the responsible resource management of Wyoming's Pilot Butte Power Plant facility. Senator Barrasso explained during the markup, "This hydropower plant has not been in service since 2008 when it became too costly to operate. And as a result, the plant has been sitting idle for the past 15 years, and the Bureau of Reclamation is planning to demolish it. The Midvale Irrigation District in Pavillion, Wyoming is willing to take ownership of the power plant. If enacted, the bill will allow for this federally owned power plant to be transferred to a local entity that can make the needed repairs and bring it back into operation. This is a win-win situation. The American people will no longer own a mothballed facility that would cost money to demolish. And the people of Wyoming will be able to put the hydropower plant back into use."
Another important legislation approved by ENR is the Wyoming Public Lands Initiative Act, introduced by Senator Barrasso. This act aims to resolve the management status for thousands of acres of federal public lands across seven counties in Wyoming. Senator Barrasso expressed his gratitude to the Wyoming County Commissioners for their collaboration since 2015 and explained, "[The Wyoming Public Lands Initiative Act] strikes a balance between protecting the places people in Wyoming love, while expanding multiple-use areas that our state and local economies rely on. The bill was developed by the people who live near the land and who will be accessing the land when it is enacted. It was developed 'from the ground up'. It resolves a decades-old stalemate. The bill will increase conservation, and ensure that other lands can be unlocked for uses important to the people of Wyoming. I firmly believe the people of Wyoming, not Washington, should decide how to manage these lands."
The Wyoming Public Lands Initiative Act is championed by the entire Wyoming Congressional delegation and is the result of a collaborative process started under the Wyoming Public Lands Initiative (WPLI). The WPLI was established by the Wyoming County Commissioners Association in 2015 to seek locally driven solutions regarding the future of federal public lands that have been in management limbo for over 30 years.
The legislation includes designations for release and manage as multiple-use areas, special management areas, wilderness designations, and policy directives. It incorporates recommendations from seven counties in Wyoming, namely Campbell, Carbon, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Natrona, and Washakie counties.
These legislative advancements are significant for Wyoming's resources and demonstrate a commitment to responsible resource management and collaboration between local stakeholders and federal authorities. The bills approved by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will contribute to the revitalization of the Pilot Butte Power Plant and the resolution of management issues surrounding federal public lands in Wyoming.
Click this link to access more information: https://www.energy.senate.gov/2023/12/enr-advances-legislation-supporting-wyoming-s-resources
