Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Murray says while he's hopeful the Trump administration "will bring Wyoming back to the table" in terms of coal, the state must continue to take steps to diversify it's economy.

"Some of Trump's first actions I think will have a big impact on helping Wyoming move forward, but that doesn't mean that we don't have to take some bold, decisive action here in Wyoming to get our economy unleashed," said Murray.

"We must find a path out of this boom-bust, boom-bust cycle," Murray added.

Murray's not suggesting Wyoming turn its back on the struggling coal industry, but rather embrace coal's future.

"We're not going to abandon those which brought us to the dance," said Murray. "Our economy is energy-based and we can go into the future, but using innovation and integration of new technologies to advance and add value to those sectors."

Murray says carbon capture and storage projects are just one of many pathways out of the boom-bust cycle.

"Carbon is actually a valuable product," said Murray. "So the Integrated Test Center and Atlas Carbon up in Campbell County, for example, these are possibilities that will lead to making that yet another industry."

More From KGAB