Scaled Back Version Of Laramie Range Wind Project Being Proposed

A company which wants to build a wind farm west of Cheyenne is proposing a somewhat smaller project to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Industrial Siting Council.

This after the Laramie County Commission vetoed the company's original proposal in September of 2025. But the company is challenging that denial in court.

The Laramie Range Wind Project is being proposed by ConnectGen Laramie County LLC, an affiliate of Repsol Renewables North America. The latest proposal has several changes from that put forward last year, including fewer turbines and smaller overall size.

In September, the Laramie County Commission voted 3-1 against a proposed 56,000 acre, 650 megawatt project. Concerns over traffic, impact on wildlife, and damage to the scenic nature of the area were among the reasons cited by opponents for turning down the project.

But now the company is trying a different approach by applying to the Industrial Siting Council. The revised proposal would reduce the number of turbines from 170 to 139, the size of the project from 56,000 to 42,000 acres. The setback from the turbines has also been increased and the truck route has been changed.

Local realtor Wendy Volk, whose family owns land in the area of the proposed project and who was a vocal opponent of the original proposal, is speaking out against the latest proposed wind farm. She gave Townsquare Media of Cheyenne a statement which included the following:

"The Laramie Range Wind Project in not an isolated proposal. It is a key link in a cumulative development pattern that raises serious questions about long term land use compatibility, wild life migration and habitat fragmentation, rural road degradation, state trust land stewardship, and impacts on agriculture, tourism, and historic landscapes. These are not abstract concerns. They have been raised repeatedly by informed residents through testimony, written comments, and regulatory proceedings."

Open House On Latest Proposal Scheduled For Thursday, Jan. 29

Repsol/ConnectGen Laramie County LLC has scheduled an open house on the latest proposal for Thursday Jan. 29 (tomorrow)night  from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Kiwanis Community House in Cheyenne.

Wendy Volk is scheduled to appear on the ''Weekend in Wyoming" program this Saturday, Jan. 31 at 11:05 a.m.

It's also worth mentioning that ConnectGen Laramie County LLC filed a lawsuit in Laramie County District Court in November against the Laramie County Commission's denial of the original proposal. The lawsuit says the county planning department in August  issued a memorandum saying the proposal met the criteria for large wind energy systems, and that the planning staff had recommended approval of the project.