According to Wyoming power companies, the mandatory use of carbon capture in power plants will cause electricity bills in the state to go up.
Currently, Wyoming has among the cheapest energy in all of the United States, which to an extent is due to low regulations and state mandates.
However, due to the state law requiring local power plants to reduce their carbon footprints by means of carbon capture technology, that may soon change.
As put by Black Hills Energy, a company that owns two power plants in WY, all public utilities are mandated to retrofit coal-fired plants with carbon capture, which comes with a hefty price tag and will inevitably reflect on how much customers pay for electricity.
Relevant: CarbonCapture Inc Launches 5 Million Ton/Year Direct Air Capture Project
In fact, director of regulatory and finance for Black Hills Energy, Kyra Coyle said the transition to emissions-free power might “come at a huge cost” to some of the company’s customers.
Developments in the field of carbon capture in Wyoming are in full swing, as the state has been chosen to be the home of what will be one of the world’s largest carbon removal facilities known as project Bison.
Oil and gas supermajors are also eyeing the opportunities for carbon capture in the state, with ExxonMobil already investing hundreds of millions of dollars.
Read more: Exxon To Go Ahead With $400 Million Carbon Capture Plant In Wyoming
