CHUGWATER – A standing-room-only crowd filled the Chugwater Community Center on July 10, drawing residents from Platte, Goshen, Laramie, Albany, Carbon, Niobrara, Natrona, and even Sheridan counties. Emotions ran high as citizens voiced strong, often personal opposition to NextEra Energy’s proposed Chugwater Wind, Solar, and Lithium Battery Storage Project—a large-scale industrial development many fear will harm local culture, health, land, and livelihoods, with little long-term benefit to the community.
The project, which includes more than 100 wind turbines, a 150-megawatt solar array, and a lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS), has sparked ongoing backlash over its potential to dramatically alter southeastern Wyoming’s landscape and way of life.
“It’s not just about property rights anymore. This is about cultural preservation—about what we leave our kids and grandkids,” said one emotional speaker who grew up on a ranch east of Chugwater and called Lone Tree Canyon “sacred ground.”
Local culture vs. corporate control
Speaker after speaker cited the project as an “industrial invasion” that would undermine the region’s agricultural identity and strip the region of its cultural heritage.
“We have to decide: do we want to be an agricultural part of Wyoming or do we want to be industrial?” one speaker urged. “Because once it’s industrial, we don’t control it anymore.”
Many voiced fears of Chugwater becoming an energy corridor dominated by outside corporate interests and federal subsidies, rather than by its longstanding ranching and farming traditions. Several described the turbines, solar fields, and transmission lines as a visual blight that would destroy the pristine viewshed and rural serenity — essential elements of local identity and tourism.
“I come here for the darkness, for the stars. But with the red blinking lights from the wind towers — it won’t be dark anymore,” lamented another.
NextEra’s silence fuels distrust
Adding fuel to the opposition was what multiple attendees described as NextEra’s lack of transparency and engagement.
“We’ve been asking questions and getting no answers,” one frustrated attendee noted. “They haven’t even told us what kind of batteries they’ll use — just vague promises. That’s not enough when you live three miles away from a potential lithium fire hazard.”
Others shared similar complaints, pointing out inconsistencies in NextEra’s public statements and a refusal to provide basic environmental safety data. Several speakers accused the company of sidestepping community input and state oversight.
“This company runs on subsidies — 85% of their revenue comes from taxpayer money. And now they want to steamroll our communities while dodging questions?” said a speaker who had researched NextEra’s projects in other Wyoming counties.
Health, water and safety concerns dominate
Concerns weren’t just aesthetic or cultural. Local residents raised serious safety issues around lithium-ion battery systems, which have a history of thermal runaway fires.
“NextEra had four battery storage fires in New York alone in 2023,” said a local researcher, citing thermal runaway hazards, airborne contaminants, and groundwater contamination as top risks.
Several speakers emphasized Chugwater’s fragile aquifer system and lack of municipal water access, meaning contamination from runoff or vibrations could have irreversible consequences for ranches and families.
“We can’t just turn on city water if our wells go bad — we live on that water,” said a local mother who’s collecting petitions against the project.
Damage to property values and wildlife
Other concerns included damage to property values, migration disruption for wildlife, bird deaths — particularly of protected raptors like golden eagles — and noise-related health conditions such as wind turbine syndrome. Several speakers cited the Department of Justice’s 2022 ruling against NextEra for violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
“NextEra just paid millions in fines and was put on probation until 2027 for killing eagles at their other Wyoming sites,” said one speaker. “And yet here they are again, claiming to be good neighbors.”
Accusations of cronyism and corporate favoritism
Suspicion also fell on state-level regulatory agencies, with accusations that the Industrial Siting Council — responsible for reviewing such projects — has never denied a single application.
“The whole industrial siting process is a scam. They’re all appointed by the governor, and they never reject anything,” said a speaker from Niobrara County.
Others pointed out alleged conflicts of interest between the Wyoming County Commissioners Association and energy developers like NextEra, referencing the association’s listed business partnerships.
“Follow the money,” one resident urged. “Why are our commissioners cozying up to corporations instead of defending our communities?”
State leadership weighs in
Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray and several state lawmakers attended the July 10 town hall in Chugwater to hear residents’ concerns about NextEra Energy’s proposed wind, solar, and battery storage project. Among them was Republican gubernatorial candidate Joseph Kibler. Others, unable to attend due to prior commitments, submitted written statements to the Platte County Record-Times.
“My problem with horizontal wind turbines dotting our Wyoming landscape—like your grandma’s pin cushion—is that they don’t make financial sense without government subsidies,” said state Sen. Darin Smith, R-Platte/Laramie. “These turbines just aren’t efficient enough to pay for themselves without adding more burden on taxpayers and consumers.”
“With the Trump administration’s efforts to end massive wind and solar subsidies—and the expiration of left-wing tax credits—I don’t believe these boondoggle wind projects are viable,” said Gray. “They offer no meaningful return to Wyoming. I remain skeptical of subsidized green energy schemes propped up by woke billionaires and Biden-era grants that undermine our core industries.”
“Wyoming is not a testing ground for federal energy experiments,” said Kibler. “These industrial wind and solar projects aren’t here for us—they’re here for tax credits, global agendas, and to power states that mock our way of life while demanding our energy. These aren’t ‘green,’ they’re greedy. They destroy open spaces, disrupt wildlife, divide communities, lower property values, and hand our land to corporations—all without our consent and with no long-term benefit to the people of Wyoming.”
Other related public meetings
Two public meetings were scheduled and have already taken place to address community concerns. The first, focused on state impact assistance, was held July 17 in Chugwater. The second, was set for last Wednesday at the Chugwater Community Center to gather feedback from Platte and Goshen County residents.
“This may be our last chance to speak up before it’s too late,” said one organizer.
As opposition grows more vocal and organized, residents vow to continue pressing their concerns at the county, state, and federal levels. Whether their efforts can halt—or reshape—NextEra’s plans remains uncertain.
Mayor Hopkins said he hopes to bring public feedback to regulatory bodies, county commissioners, and NextEra to seek answers and determine next steps.
