March 29, 2023
By Don
Burkhart
![](images/images_03_31_2023/don-burkhart.jpg)
Rep. Don Burkart: Hydrogen, Carbon
Capture Will Help Wyoming Stay A Leader In Energy
By State Rep. Don Burkhart, Guest Column
Wyoming has a long, proud legacy of being a leader in domestic energy
development.
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that our
state produces 13 times more energy than we consume, making Wyoming
the second-largest net energy supplier in the nation, just behind
Texas.
To maintain and build on our role as a national energy leader, it is
critical that we continue to push the boundaries of energy innovation
and production through pragmatic, commonsense energy policy at the
state and federal levels.
More to the point, Wyoming must keep pace with ever-changing and
evolving global policy and energy markets.
To cement our role in domestic energy production and continue
utilizing the vast fossil fuel resources we have available to us, we
should be working to develop emerging, cutting-edge energy
technologies like hydrogen production and carbon capture utilization
and storage (CCUS).
These innovative energy solutions hold great promise to advance
Wyoming’s place in global energy markets while creating jobs, boosting
local economies, and ensuring our state stays on the map in the
world’s energy future.
That is what makes the Western Interstate Hydrogen Hub such a
promising endeavor for Wyoming and our entire region.
The Western Interstate Hydrogen hub is a centralized regional facility
from which hydrogen can be sent throughout the country and world. This
project is in the works with the U.S. Department of Energy and is a
collaborative effort being led by Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado and
Utah to develop a new hydrogen hub that could increase our energy
capabilities and allow us to take advantage of our diverse range of
energy resources.
Once completed, the Western Interstate Hydrogen Hub could facilitate
the production, distribution, storage and use of clean hydrogen as
fuel for transportation, electricity generation, agricultural use and
a range of other applications.
Importantly, producing this clean hydrogen often relies on the use of
other energy resources, including natural gas, one of Wyoming’s core
industries.
In that respect, the Western Interstate Hydrogen Hub can help us build
on our existing energy capabilities while advancing the development of
new forms of energy.
Ultimately, these efforts could strengthen our nation’s domestic
energy production while creating 21st century jobs for Wyomingites and
attracting new businesses and industries to our state and entire
region.
The Western Interstate Hydrogen Hub is just one of the ways Wyoming
continues to lead on solutions that reduce emissions while
diversifying our energy capabilities.
Another area is the advancement of carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS)
technologies.
In fact, Wyoming is one of only two states so far to apply for and
receive primacy to authorize the permitting of Class VI injection
wells used for the permanent underground sequestration of carbon
dioxide.
Since this emerging technology first showed the potential to help
capture and store carbon dioxide, Wyoming has continued to invest
heavily in the future of CCUS technology.
In the Wyoming Legislature, we worked in a bipartisan fashion to
allocate $15 million to advance this critical technology, including a
required $5 million match by private industry.
These investments in our clean energy future helped create the Wyoming
Integrated Test Center research facility back in 2018, which is
helping advance the commercial readiness of CCUS technology. This
investment helps our existing energy production while moving toward an
enhanced energy future. Since its establishment, the center has grown
to be the largest of its kind in the country, gaining both national
and international recognition.
These pro-innovation, pro-growth solutions demonstrate that there is a
pragmatic way to balance our need to remain a leader in domestic
energy production while advancing newer forms of energy production.
This approach, which relies on an all-of-the-above energy strategy, is
far better for our economy and our decarbonization efforts than
unrealistic energy philosophies that fail to serve or benefit our
communities and could potentially lead to energy poverty.
Wyoming has been, and will remain, a leader in domestic energy, so
long as we continue to put together a sensible regulatory framework
that advances new energy technologies including CCUS and hydrogen.
By working with federal agencies to encourage the development of these
innovative solutions, state leaders in Cheyenne are helping Wyoming’s
core industries to grow and prosper over the long term.
Ultimately, that’s good news for our communities, our economy, and our
entire energy future.
State Rep. Don Burkhart, R-Rawlins, is chairman of the House Minerals,
Business & Economic Development Committee.
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