Wyoming Blows. And blows. And blows some more. Then, just when you thought it might be over, you get sideswiped by a gusty afterthought. Nasty gusty. Wyoming wind...not your average breeze.
But there's a windfall in that wind!
FastCompany.com listed "green tech entrepeneurs" as one of the top ten hot careers of 2009 and beyond. Wyomingites looking for a change of pace or out-of-staters looking for a change of space, might want to investigate harnessing one of Wyoming's most wonderful products--her wind. Take advantage of the massive investments in clean energy of the wind variety!
Got an idea? Look for a Wyoming state or a Federal grant that might be a good fit and go for it.
Keep your eye on the Chugwater, WY wind corridor. It's been tagged as one of the best potential sources for wind energy in the nation. Grab your photos off of I25 now...the next decade will bring a lot of changes to the landscape.
In the meantime, be one of the first to get a Wyoming Blows Tshirt. WY not?
Wyoming Senate Says NO to Sales Tax Break
The Wyoming State Senate has initially approved legislation to eliminate a sales-tax break on equipment to wind farm developers.
The Legislature had exempted equipment for development of wind generation of electricity in an effort to encourage Wind Developers to plant their windmills in Wyoming.
Supporters of the sales-tax repeal are counting on Wyoming's Great Big Wind, along with federal wind generation tax credits (you know, included in the stimulus plan that State Reps Lummis, Barrasso and Enzi voted against) to guarantee that Wyoming will still draw plenty of Big Boy Wind Developers even without the tax break on equipment.
The Senate is choosing to play hardball with Alternative Energy Companies that might come into the state instead of the Whiffle Ball with Paper Bats they bring out for the Oil and Gas Companies. Big Oil is allowed to break laws and repeatedly and flagrantly violate safety standards because enforcement would "make them go someplace else." (Besides, Big Oil keeps Wyoming boys in Wyoming for a while.) Protection standards for those workers? We don't need those! There's always someone waiting to "get on the rigs".
Remove incentives for Wind Energy Companies to choose Wyoming. Brilliant. And so wise to put this new Tax Increase in play while the feds are deciding where to put that power grid, the one necessary to move the wind power to the places it has to go! Can you say "Nebraska"? How about "Oklahoma".
The new tax increase includes an exemption for home wind generation equipment, if they're small enough.
House Bill 215 passed the House and now has to pass two more readings in the Senate. 'Course it will. This is Wyoming.