Wyoming Energy Authority Awards $30 Million for Commercial Carbon Capture and Deep Geothermal

CHEYENNE, WY — The Wyoming Energy Authority (WEA) Board of Directors voted to approve $30 million in matching grants through the state’s Energy Matching Funds (EMF) program, funding three advanced energy demonstration projects in Gillette and Sweetwater County.

Pioneering Carbon Capture and Next-Generation Geothermal Power

The funding packages provide matching capital to construct a 50,000-ton-per-year post-combustion carbon capture system at the Dry Fork Station power plant and drill a 15,000-foot deep supercritical geothermal exploratory well to harness deep baseload thermal heat. The projects utilize Wyoming’s existing oil and gas drilling workforce and specialized subsurface geology to demonstrate commercial zero-emission baseload power generation.

Governor Mark Gordon affirmed that Wyoming continues to lead global all-of-the-above energy innovation, pioneering carbon management technologies that keep traditional energy workers employed while reducing emissions.

Energy Industry and University Research Support

University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources researchers collaborated on geological carbon mineralization modeling.

Petroleum and mining trade associations praised the program for keeping Wyoming at the cutting edge of global thermal power engineering.

Groundbreaking Milestones

Geothermal deep exploratory drilling will commence in Campbell County in November 2026.