Monday, March 30, 2026 |
Photo – County Road 351 – Bigfoot99 file photo
County officials discussed the potential effects of the proposed Seminoe Pumped Storage Facility.
During the March 18th Carbon County Council of Governments meeting, County Commission Chairman Travis Moore addressed the deteriorating condition of County Road 351, also known as Seminoe Road. The 64‑mile scenic byway, which connects Sinclair to the Seminoe Reservoir, was paved in the past, but the asphalt surface has become unstable. Chairman Moore said repaving the road is estimated to cost the county over $60 million, adding that heavy construction traffic to the proposed Seminoe Pumped Storage Facility site is likely to ruin the county’s investment.
The conversation turned to the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project. Since 2020, Utah‑based rPlus Hydro and its subsidiary Black Canyon Hydro have been pursuing the construction of a pumped storage facility at Seminoe Reservoir. Plans call for a 13,000‑acre‑foot man‑made lake to be built on a mountaintop above Seminoe. The two bodies of water would be connected by an underground electrical powerhouse. During periods of high wind‑energy production, water would be pumped from Seminoe Reservoir into the upper lake, where it would be stored until needed. When demand outpaces production, the water would flow downhill through the underground turbine, generating approximately 900 megawatts of electricity for up to 12 hours. The cycle would repeat as necessary.
Speaking at the March 18th Council of Governments meeting, Chairman Moore noted that earlier this month the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality issued a Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification for the project, clearing the way for the next steps in the permitting process. The commission chairman said public feedback has prompted the project to change significantly since its inception and encouraged the public to continue submitting comments.
Initially, rPlus Hydro stated that electricity generated by the pumped storage facility would help meet the state’s increasing power demands and stabilize the electrical grid as older generation sources, such as coal plants, are retired. Speaking at the Council of Governments meeting, Commission Chairman Moore said the project applicant is now proposing to use the electricity to power the state’s growing number of data‑processing facilities. As the scope of the project changes, Chairman Moore recommended taking a wait‑and‑see approach.
Chairman Moore expressed surprise at how many public comments the project has received since its inception. The county commissioner said that despite the obstacles, rPlus appears determined to see the project through to completion.
Chairman Moore discussed the impact construction of the pumped storage facility would have on Seminoe Road. The road, which is primarily used by recreational vehicles, would become a main route for heavy truck traffic to access the site. Chairman Moore said that, as with the wind‑turbine projects, the county will require rPlus to improve the road through a road‑use agreement.
Chairman Moore declined to say whether he supported the project or not but added that the prospect of repaving Seminoe Road would not change his position.
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners has submitted a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the agency responsible for licensing and environmental review, 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 to allow year‑round construction. As a cooperating agency, however, the county cannot deny the project outright. Final approval rests with federal and state regulators.
On June 12th, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is expected to issue the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project. The document will address the thousands of comments submitted during the draft phase, including the letter of opposition from the Carbon County Commissioners, and will outline the final requirements for the developer, rPlus Hydro, such as seasonal construction shutdowns to protect the Ferris-Seminoe bighorn sheep herd. Once the Final Environmental Impact Statement is issued, FERC will have 90 days, or until September 17th, to approve or deny the project.
