Major Wyoming Wind Project Delayed A Year Over Turbine Troubles

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Last edited Fri Jul 21, 2023, 07:55 AM - Edit history (2)

Major Wyoming Wind Project Delayed A Year Over Turbine Troubles

Construction of the Rock Creek II wind project in Albany and Carbon counties will be delayed a year as General Electric fails to deliver the turbines on time.

Kevin Killough
July 20, 2023
4 min read



A large staging area for wind turbines along Interstate 80 between Cheyenne and Laramie has been busy so far this summer. But another Wyoming wind project will be delayed a year because of problems with turbine manufacturers. (Greg Johnson, Cowboy State Daily)

Wyoming’s wind industry is feeling the impacts of problems plaguing wind turbine manufacturers. ... The Rock Creek II wind project will be delayed a year, according to documents filed with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Industrial Siting Division. General Electric, the turbine manufacturer, provided “updated delivering information” to the state outlining the delay. ... The project is located north of Interstate 80 and straddles the Albany and Carbon county borders. When complete, it will provide 590 megawatts of intermittent electricity.

Last year, General Electric reported losses of $2.2 billion as a result of supply-chain issues, labor costs and inflation — problems many manufacturers are reporting.

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Struggling Industry

Citing increased cost and supply chain issues, as well as competition from other manufacturers, General Electric cut hundreds of jobs from its U.S. onshore wind energy group last fall. This represented 20% of its workforce in the sector. ... In 2022, the company reported a loss of $2.24 billion, which followed a $795 million loss the previous year.

The industry is facing significant financial struggles. Siemens, another turbine manufacturer, reported losses last year of nearly $1 billion. ... Vestas, a competitor of General Electric and Siemens, reported a loss of $1.2 billion in 2022. ... Both companies cited supply chains and inflationary pressure during their earnings calls.

Kevin Killough can be reached at [e-mail].

Wyoming does have the wind.

How Wyoming's Wind Will Impact Location Of New Multimillion-Dollar Shooting Complex

One huge factor that might play into communities lobbying to become home for a proposed multimillion-dollar shooting complex is Wyoming’s notorious wind.

Mark Heinz
July 17, 2023
4 min read



Selecting which Wyoming community will get a proposed multimillion-dollar shooting complex could come down to a number of factors — proximity to an airport, utilities at the building site and the availability of lodging and other amenities.

But one other factor could come into play. Wyoming’s notorious wind.

That point was raised by shooting enthusiast Jon Maestri of Sheridan in a recent email to Cowboy State Daily.

As a shooting complex task force appointed by Gov. Mark Gordon sets out to determine where a $10 million shooting complex could be built, wind velocities should be “seriously considered,” Maestri said.

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Mark Heinz can be reached at [e-mail].