PLATTE COUNTY – New details about the Chugwater Wind Project were discussed during the May 6, 2025 Board of Platte County Commissioners meeting, as well as details about road and bridge concerns and the proposed budgets for the fiscal year 2026.
Chairman Steve Shockley along with Commissioners Ian Jolovich and Jeb Baker approved two new subdivisions near the Glendo area with changes proposed by the county planner, Doug Dumont.
Dumont provided an update regarding the Platte Wind Project, “I’m starting to get questions about the Chugwater Wind Project – those are slowly coming in.”
When asked what sort of questions he was receiving, county planner Doug Dumont said, “Like – ‘how can this be allowed now that the Biden Administration is not there anymore?’”
The Chugwater Wind Project is a hotly debated issue in southern Platte County and is seeking to be situated east of Interstate-25 and north of Lone Tree Road and Wyoming 313. The NextEra Energy Resources’ Chugwater Wind Project aims at providing 300 megawatts of clean energy to Platte and Goshen counties, however, not all residents are happy with the proposed location or project. The organization also estimates the project will generate $133 million in tax revenue over the next 30 years and add upwards of 200 jobs to stimulate the local economy.
Some of the biggest concerns of Chugwater residents include how much of the wind energy produced by this project will remain in Wyoming versus going to other states and how much of an impact to the environment and community will the project have.
The commissioners discussed a number of other factors impacting the understanding and trajectory of completion of the Chugwater Wind Farm, including the fact that the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has yet to reach out to the county regarding the proposed project.

Dumont also stated the project still needs to obtain their state and federal permits to move forward with the project, which would first require an approved resolution from Platte County Commissioners. There is no proposed timeframe for when that might occur at this time.
Additionally, there is a process and rules Platte County Commissioners need to adhere to first before they could issue a resolution approving the project so it can obtain permits through the state and federal government.
An unnamed resident asked commissioners to explicitly detail the process NextEra Energy Resources would have to complete before it could be approved by Platte County commissioners. Dumont explained there are multiple required meetings that must occur prior to the submission of the application to ensure the project adheres to state and local requirements or laws.
The proposal would have to be first submitted through planning and zoning so it can be presented to the county commissioners, which would require a timeframe to allow public input. “I do believe they are planning to come talk to the county commissioners even before they submit their application,” Jolovich explained. “They have been great to work with – it’s been night and day compared to what we were working with last year.”
This isn’t the first time nor the first company seeking to place a wind project in Chugwater. Multiple companies have sought to build other wind projects in Chugwater since 2010 and failed to pass, however, the commissioners say NextEra has been the most responsive and transparent company thus far.
It was noted during the meeting NextEra is also working with Goshen County Commissioners as the project is proposed to span across the county line into Goshen and that there is push back from Goshen residents and the county commissioners. Goshen County Commissioners have a strong record of rejecting wind project proposals as there is significant opposition from Goshen residents near the Platte County line.
Commissioners briefly heard general updates regarding road and bridge concerns from Platte County Road and Bridge Supervisor Chris Bookout. He said the department is seeking to resolve known issues from the winter months and are also seeking ways to improve the conditions of hardest hit roads.
In Wheatland, Bookout told commissioners, “For the last 30 days, we finished up the East Oak (Road) and Bellis (Road) irrigation - with a pipe replacement.”
Adding, “That was the worst project I’ve had with utilities – it turned out three of the lines with utilities were miss marked in different locations.” He further explained that due to the mismarkings of several lines, the crew unintentionally hit an internet providers line, however, the provider was on-site within 15 minutes and worked to restore services to residents quickly.
He said the project took three days to finish and is still working with residents to ensure any damages are fixed. Bookout was notified of this issue during the April 2025 county commissioners meeting and worked quickly to identify the problems and fix them, of which the commissioners thanked him for his diligence and response.
In a future meeting, commissioners anticipate discussing historical and current building permits and requested to learn more about recent permits to ensure residents are not being taxed on buildings that no longer exist.
The commissioners also discussed the proposed budgets for fiscal year 2026, including the weed and pest budget. A future story will detail the proposed budgets.
Lauren Nordeen from the Hospital Foundation Board recapped the 2025 Cajun Night event and discussed anticipation of the 2026 event, details of this event will be in a future story.
The next Platte County Commissioner meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Platte County Court House in Wheatland on May 20.