Comprehensive Summary of Platte County Commissioner Proceedings pursuant W.S. §18-3-516(a) – The Board of County Commissioners, Platte County, Wyoming, met in a special session on the 20th day of May 2026 in the county seat of Wheatland. Notice of this special session was provided by the Office of the County Clerk pursuant to Wyoming Statute §16-4-404(b). Those present for the meeting were Steve Shockley, Commission Chairman; Ian Jolovich, Commissioner; John “Jeb” Baker, Commissioner; and Malcolm Ervin, County Clerk. Also present were Rex Johnson, special legal counsel for the Board, Joey Madsen, special legal counsel for the Board, and Laura Bookout, County Planner. Chairman Shockley called the meeting to order at 9:00 AM. Commissioner Jolovich motioned, seconded by Commissioner Baker, to approve the agenda as presented. The motion carried. Chairman Shockley then informed the public they would be allowed to provide comment on proposed rules of conduct for the public hearing but none was received. Commissioner Jolovich motioned, seconded by Commissioner Baker, to approve the public hearing rules. The motion carried. Planner Bookout provided an overview of three land use applications, each of which was submitted by Anthony Bianchini on behalf of Chugwater Energy Center, LLC, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC. Planner Bookout reported that the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended each application for approval on May 13, 2026. The Commission also recommended that 13 general conditions be attached to each application. The first application, numbered 25-37, recommended for approval by the Commission was for a Special Use Permit and Rezone request to operate a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The applicant requested to rezone approximately 16 acres of land, which at the time of the application were zoned as a Ranching, Agricultural, and Mining (RAM) zoning district. The applicant also sought a Special Use Permit to operate a BESS unit, which would dispatch 150 MW of electricity with a 4-hour duration. The parcel in question is described as part of the NW ¼ of Section 6, Township 20 North, Range 65 West, Platte County, Wyoming. In addition to the 13 general conditions mentioned above, the Commission also recommended eight special conditions be included. The second application, numbered 25-38, was for a Special Use Permit and Solar Energy Facility (SEF) permit to operate a photovoltaic solar array, which aimed generate approximately 150 MW of solar energy, in a RAM zoning district. The parcel in question is described as part of Sections 4, 5 and 6, Township 20 North, Range 65 West, Platte County, Wyoming. In addition to the 13 general conditions mentioned above, the Commission also recommended one special condition be included. The third application, numbered 25-39, was for a Special Use Permit, a series of Variance requests and a Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS) permit to operate 112 wind turbines in a RAM zoning district. The parcels in question are portions of Townships 20 and 21 North, Range 65 West, Platte County, Wyoming, and portions of Townships 20 and 21 North, Range 66 West, Platte County, Wyoming. The applicant requested a Variance to Section 13.20.070.S.d of the Platte County Land Use Rules & Regulations, which requires that all materials be reclaimed to a depth of 60” below the surface. The applicant requested to reclaim to a depth of 48” rather than 60”. The applicant also sought a Waiver to section 13.20.050 D.f of the Platte County Land Use Rules & Regulations, which requires a ¼ mile setback from public roadways. The applicant requested the ability to construct WECS structures within ¼ mile of South County Line Road, North County Line Road, East Hellbaum Road, Range Road, Happy Hollow Road, Windmill Road, Meeker/South Meeker Road, South CS Road, and Lancer Road. The applicant did acknowledge those structures would remain at least 110% of the structure’s height from any roadway. In addition to the 13 general conditions mentioned above, the Commission also recommended five special conditions be included. Chairman Shockley asked if there were any objections on procedural matters and opened the meeting to public comment. Thomas Szott, an attorney representing Jill Kaufman, alleged the Board failed to adhere to W.S. § 18-5-505 by not declaring the applications as complete in a public meeting. Mr. Szott also alleges the applications that were submitted were not complete. He argued that the applications lacked certification statements required pursuant to W.S. §§ 18-5-503(a)(ii), (a)(iv), (a)(v) and (a)(ix). As such, Mr. Szott argued Planner Bookout’s determination of completeness was erroneous. Lucinda Houtchens, Kathryn Stevens, Karen Weber, Wayne Thornburg, Teresa Baker, Dennis Baker, Mary Meyer and John Voight each adopted those procedural objections by reference and restated them as my own. Special Counsel Johnson responded to Mr. Szott’s objection saying he believed they lacked merit and advised Chairman Shockley to proceed with the hearing. Special Counsel Johnson further stated any person aggrieved by the hearing, or their subsequent result, may seek judicial relief. Chairman Shockley then continued the hearing by asking Anthony Bianchini, Project Manager for NextEra Energy Resources, to provide an overview of the three applications. Chairman Shockley then opened the meeting to public comments. Clerk Ervin began by reading a letter written by Jeremy Haroldson. Those speaking against the project were: Roy Birt; Wendy Volk; Pat Mitchell; Letia Lane; Tammy Martin; Scott Harmon; John Voight; Mary Meyer; Dennis Baker; Lucinda Houtchens; Jeri Hunter; Kelly Havely; Teresa Baker; Kathryn Stevens; Jill Kaufman; and two minor children. Those speaking in favor of the project were: Mickey Galluzzo; Chris Brown, representing Powering Up Wyoming; Philip Ellis, on behalf of Chugwater Economic Development and on his own behalf; Cindy DeLancey; Dan Kirkbride; Renny McKay, on behalf of the Wyoming Business Alliance; Robert Moxley; Josephine Young, on behalf of Platte County Economic Development; Brook Brockman; Tresha Cancino, on behalf of the Platte County Chamber of Commerce; Jim Lerwick; and Fred Hartmeister. Eric Jones, an attorney representing the Town of Chugwater, requested that the transmission line located north of the town be at least one mile from its municipal boundary. John Burns, Town of Chugwater Councilman, cited Section 13.20.040 of the Platte County Land Use Rules & Regulations saying structures associated with WECS permits must be setback a minimum of one mile from municipal boundaries. Councilman Burns requested the transmission line adhere to that setback requirement and further stated the town had not waived the setback requirement. Mayor Josh Hopkins also spoke on the power line saying the viewshed from the town is important and should be maintained. The Board recessed for lunch at approximately 1:00 PM. At 2:00 PM, Chairman Shockley called the meeting back to order. Commissioners Baker and Jolovich were also present, as was Clerk Ervin. Chairman Shockley asked Mr. Bianchini how a one-mile setback from the Town of Chugwater would impact the project. Mr. Bianchini said they were dedicated to ensuring a one-mile setback from the town. The Board asked a series of questions to NextEra Energy Resources, Benchmark Engineering and Platte County Road & Bridge. When the Board finished its questioning, Chairman Shockley brought the matter before the Board. Commissioner Jolovich motioned, seconded by Commissioner Baker, to grant the SEF permit, associated variances, and setback waivers subject to a final order which may include the additional conditions discussed at this meeting as well as those recommended by the Planning and Zoning Department. The motion carried. Commissioner Jolovich motioned, seconded by Commissioner Baker, to grant the WECS permit, associated variances, and setback waivers subject to a final order which may include the additional conditions discussed at this meeting as well as those recommended by the Planning and Zoning Department. The motion carried. Commissioner Jolovich motioned, seconded by Commissioner Baker, to grant the BESS permit, associated variances, and setback waivers subject to a final order which may include the additional conditions discussed at this meeting as well as those recommended by the Planning and Zoning Department. The motion carried. There being no further business for board consideration, the meeting adjourned at approximately 2:50 PM. The full minutes will be available for inspection in the Office of the County Clerk or online at www.plattecountywyoming.com once they are approved by the Board.
Public Notice No. 12098 published in the Platte County Record-Times June 3, 2026
