February 4, 2026 |
Photo – Seminoe Dam – Bigfoot99 file photo
County officials are preparing another comment letter opposing the current plans for the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project.
Utah‑based rPlus Hydro is proposing a pumped storage facility at Seminoe Reservoir. The company is pursuing the construction of a new 13,000-acre-foot man‑made lake that will be connected to the existing reservoir by a 1,000‑foot underground tunnel. During periods of high energy production, water would be pumped from Seminoe Reservoir into the upper lake. When demand outpaces production, the water would flow back downhill through an underground turbine, generating electricity. The project is expected to help stabilize the electrical grid during periods of low wind generation.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, published a draft environmental impact statement on the proposal and requested comments from residents, landowners, businesses, and local governments. County Attorney Ashley Davis drafted a 12‑page letter on behalf of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners outlining the county’s 12 primary concerns about the project, including potential impacts to critical wildlife and fish habitats, the effect construction could have on the local tourism industry, and the need for the Bureau of Land Management to amend the Rawlins Resource Management Plan.
Speaking at Tuesday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Attorney Davis said FERC is requesting feedback on proposed changes to the environmental impact statement, specifically plans to relocate the project’s spoils pile and concrete plant off Bureau of Land Management property and onto Bureau of Reclamation land. Attorney Davis said the Bureau of Reclamation may have less strict environmental requirements than the BLM.
In the most recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission environmental impact statement, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department noted that construction noise, vibrations, and lighting could disturb the Ferris–Seminoe Herd, one of the state’s most protected bighorn sheep herds, and recommended limiting work to a four‑month window from May through August. Speaking to Bigfoot99 in December, rPlus Hydro Managing Director of Hydro Strategy, Matthew Shapiro, explained that following Game and Fish recommendations would drive up project costs and lengthen the construction schedule, ultimately causing greater disturbance to the bighorn sheep population.
To allow year‑round construction, the Bureau of Land Management would be required to amend the Rawlins Resource Management Plan. Hydro Strategy Managing Director Shapiro said that relocating the spoils pile off BLM land, adding stricter traffic controls, noise‑reduction measures, and speed limits to minimize impacts on bighorn sheep, and moving the intake structure’s build site farther from the nearby state park should be enough for the federal agency to waive the construction restrictions. Shapiro added that despite moving the spoilage and concrete plant off BLM land and onto Bureau of Reclamation property, enough of the project remains in BLM’s territory to still require those seasonal‑restriction waivers.
At Tuesday’s County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Sue Jones said, “Even moving portions of the project off BLM land won’t change the underlying land‑use conflict.”
Commissioner John Johnson agreed, saying rPlus Hydro appears to be trying to sidestep Bureau of Land Management regulations. Commissioner Johnson added that if the developers are confident in the proposal, FERC should be allowed to complete its review before any changes are made.
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners directed Attorney Ashley Davis to draft a letter expressing the Board’s views of the project for Chairman Travis Moore to sign. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will accept public comments on the amended environmental impact statement until Friday, February 13th.
