Green Energy in Medicine Bow, Wyoming

The state of Wyoming is well known for its energy industry. Wyoming is rich in deposits of coal, gas, and oil. Near-constant wind has also allowed Wyoming to excel in “green” energy sources.

One of the local residents participated in the construction of two giant wind turbines, which were located in the meadow south of the city. That resident has since been sold and the two large turbines have been replaced with nine smaller modern turbines and one slightly larger one dubbed “Clipper”. Wyoming has become popular for testing wind power technology due to extreme weather changes here and near constant winds.

There are two wind “farms” near here, near the small towns of Arlington and McFadden. The original project has grown from 69,600 kW turbines to a total of 183. The total generation capacity of the project is currently 134.7 megawatts. There is another wind farm that will start construction between Hanna and Medicine Bow next year.

Coal mines in Wyoming produce the cleanest burning, sulfur-free coal in the nation. Two “green” industries have emerged from this. There is strong development of coal bed methane. Most, if not all, coal mines have methane recovery systems that allow this common gas to be converted to natural gas.

Another of the “greener” energy producers are “gasification” plants. Many valuable products can be made from the gasification process, from sulfurs and their relatives, to different types of fuels to run various types of machinery, including natural gas and diesel fuels. One such plant is scheduled to be built just south of Medicine Bow beginning next year.

Wyoming also has a high rate of sunny days, making solar power a popular option for many residents who are “off the grid” as well as a growing number of businesses and residences using solar as supplemental power. . In fact, the combination of wind and solar power offers a bright prospect for the future of energy production here, as one of the two is almost always present.

Medicine Bow is focused on an area where all these greener and greener energy technologies are being developed or tested. For someone who wants to live where clean air already exists and energy options are plentiful, it provides a near-ideal location.