Wednesday, JANUARY 7, 2026 |
Photo – Map of area around planned natural gas power plant – Courtesy Carbon County Economic Development
Power Company of Wyoming representatives updated Carbon County officials Tuesday on the status of a planned natural gas power plant.
In April, Anschutz Corporation, a Colorado‑based energy investment company, proposed building a 2,000‑megawatt natural gas power plant south of Sinclair. Anschutz, through its wholly owned subsidiary Power Company of Wyoming, is looking to supplement electricity generation from the nearby 3,000‑megawatt Chokecherry Sierra Madre wind project to meet rising energy needs, including demand from news data centers that are planned to be built across the state.
Representatives from Power Company of Wyoming were present at yesterday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting to brief county officials on the status of the project. Power Company of Wyoming President and Chief Executive Officer Roxane Perruso explained that the power plant project originally began development eight years ago. However, due to decreased demand, the project was shelved. Perruso said that energy use has increased and the company revisited the idea.
Power Company of Wyoming is also spearheading the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project and the TransWest Express transmission line.
Executive Vice President of Engineering and Construction Ryan Jacobson said the proposed Seminoe Generating Station would sit on roughly 70 acres of private land owned by the Overland Trail Ranch. The facility would be located south of Rawlins and Sinclair and near the Chokecherry Sierra Madre wind farm. Referring to a provided map, Jacobsen said the site was selected to give the facility direct access to natural gas and electrical transmission lines.
Additionally, the location complies with the county’s zoning maps, and the nearby Grenville Dome will shield the facility from view. Jacobsen added that the site can be accessed by an existing roadway constructed to reach the Chokecherry Sierra Madre wind farm, which is under construction.
Executive Vice President of Land, Environment, and Operations Kelly Cummins said the proposed Seminoe Generating Station is intended to complement the nearby wind energy project. Cummins said the two facilities will provide a steady supply of electricity.
Cummins said any excess energy generated from the two projects could be sold to regional utilities, attracting additional development in the area.
Power Company of Wyoming Technical Design Manager Amy Groseclose said the Seminoe Generation Station will use 12 simple-cycle natural gas turbines and three combined-cycle turbines. Working together, the turbines will allow the facility to use waste heat to generate more electricity.
Groseclose said the operation will provide steady power and respond to changing demand. The 12 simple‑cycle turbines will allow the facility to adjust more quickly to shifting wind conditions and load.
Groseclose said the Seminoe Generating Station will also use advanced dry‑cooling technology, rather than water, to remove waste heat from the system, cutting the facility’s water use by 95 percent. Additionally, selective catalytic reduction will lower nitrogen oxide production by 90 percent, ensuring the powerplant complies with all ambient air quality standards.
Vice President of Communications and Government Relations Kara Choquette said the project will cost over $1 billion dollars and generate substantial property and sales tax revenue.
Choquette said the project is expected to create 350 new construction jobs, separate from the Chokecherry Sierra Madre and TransWest projects, along with 30 permanent operations jobs. However, she noted that the tax and employment estimates may change as the project makes its way through the industrial siting process.
Commissioner John Johnson said he approved of the project but asked where the facility will take in water.
Executive Vice President of Land, Environment, and Operations Kelly Cummins said the Power Company of Wyoming will rely on the Overland Trail Ranch’s existing water rights, with the option of using Rawlins municipal water when available.
Technical Design Manager Amy Groseclose added that the facility is expected to consume approximately 320 acre‑feet of water, or roughly 104 million gallons annually.
As a rancher, Commissioner Johnson explained that water rights are very important to him, adding that he personally opposes the sale of water rights. However, the commissioner said the Overland Trail Ranch owners are within their rights to sell.
The initial start-up of the Seminoe Generating Station is expected to begin in 2028, with operations ramping up over time until the facility reaches its peak output of 2,000 megawatts. The final completion date will depend on the TransWest Express transmission line.
The Power Company of Wyoming representatives jokingly mentioned changing the name of the power plant to avoid confusion with the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project.
