Thursday, January 8, 2026 |
Photo – Seminoe Reservoir – Bigfoot99 file photo
County officials asked the state to hold a meeting in Rawlins to discuss the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project.
Utah‑based rPlus Hydro is pursuing a pumped‑storage facility at Seminoe Reservoir. The project would require construction of a 13,000‑acre‑foot man‑made lake and an underground powerhouse. During periods of high energy production, water would be pumped from Seminoe Reservoir uphill into the new lake. When demand increases, the water would be released downhill through an underground turbine to generate electricity.
The project is facing significant pushback from environmental groups. The Bureau of Land Management has requested strict limits on the construction season to protect the local bighorn sheep herd. Trout Unlimited, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting cold‑water fisheries, warned during a September online meeting that the project could harm the downstream blue‑ribbon Miracle Mile. In addition, Casper officials agreed last month to submit a formal letter opposing the project.
rPlus Hydro Managing Director of Hydro Strategy Matthew Shapiro said the company has agreed to move its construction and waste‑rock staging areas away from critical bighorn sheep habitat. Shapiro added that state and federal agencies will not permit the project to harm the world‑class trout fishery and said the company will install temperature monitors to ensure compliance.
During Tuesday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Attorney Ashley Davis announced that the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality notified her office that it requested a Section 401 Water Quality Certification for the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project. Attorney Davis said the board has until February 2nd to submit an official comment on the matter.
A Section 401 certification ensures that any project discharging water or disturbing waterways will comply with state water‑quality standards.
Attorney Davis continued, saying that Wyoming DEQ has scheduled a public meeting in Casper on January 21st to provide an additional opportunity for comment on the proposed water‑quality certification.
Commissioner John Johnson criticized Wyoming DEQ for not holding an additional meeting in Rawlins. Attorney Davis agreed, saying both DEQ and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which held meetings in Rawlins and Cheyenne in November, were not providing residents with enough opportunity to comment on the project.
Commissioner John Espy suggested sending a letter to DEQ requesting an additional meeting in Rawlins. Commissioner Johnson supported the idea, saying that because the project would be located in Carbon County, residents should have a more convenient way to comment.
Commissioner Espy moved to send Wyoming DEQ a letter requesting an additional meeting in Rawlins. The motion was seconded and passed.
Afterward, Commissioner Sue Jones said the board should submit an official comment opposing the issuance of the water‑quality certification at this time.
Commissioner Jones added that the local conservation service has reported that the project’s water‑quality adaptive management plan, which outlines how water will be monitored to ensure compliance with state and federal standards, has not been completed. Commissioner Jones encouraged the public to comment on the project as well.
Commissioner Jones moved to have Attorney Davis consult with Wyoming County Commissioners Association Natural Resources Policy Analyst Triston Rice on the county’s official response to Wyoming DEQ. The motion passed unanimously.
