May was a very busy month for all of us at CAEDA/Forward Casper. Our wind energy efforts have created much interest and positive narrative about the future opportunity of this industry in Wyoming. Our approach has been very strategic, market-driven, and focused on creating opportunities that complement our existing businesses.
On May 16th and 17th we were able to host 19 state legislators on a trip to Garden City, Kansas to visit Transportation Partners & Logistics’ (TP&L) yard – the largest wind turbine storage facility in the USA. Our board members Tony Cercy and Billy Brenton (TP&L) organized the entire trip with the help of Representative Steve Harshman who organized the legislators’ attendance.
Billy Brenton and his partner Jim Orr (TP&L) gave the attendees a tour of their facility and educated everyone about the current status of the industry.
Billy Brenton and his partner Jim Orr (TP&L) gave the attendees a tour of their facility and educated everyone about the current status of the industry. Lona DuVall, with the Finney County Economic Development Corporation, joined us for lunch both days to talk about how this yard has affected their community and the opportunities that have evolved because of this development. She also provided some insight into how Kansas, another “red”/mineral/agricultural state, is dealing with the growth of the wind industry. Overall, we believe all of the legislators left better informed and more excited about the potential for wind energy in Wyoming.
Charles attended the Wyoming Energy Summit in Cheyenne where he met with Goldwind and Viridis leadership about their proposed 1,870-megawatt wind project near Medicine Bow and their involvement with Wyoming companies as they proceed.
May 22nd-25th, Charles and I went to the American Wind Energy Association’s WINDPOWER conference in Anaheim, California, which is attended by all of the big players in wind energy around the world. We met with executives in the industry to gain perspective and to align our economic development efforts. Success to us involves recruitment of one or more wind energy-related companies, identifying new expansion opportunities for current Casper companies and diversifying our economy. Two quality recruitment leads were captured during the week and are undergoing our internal vetting process.
On Monday, June 5th, we are holding an Energy Open House, hosted by True Companies; it is open to any and all businesses that service, support or operate in the energy industry. We have some very dynamic board members connected to the industry including; Tad True, Jim Ruble, Tony Cercy, Billy Brenton, Stuart Tanner, and Pete Maxwell who will serve as hosts for the evening. In addition, we will make a special announcement during the presentation.
Refer questions or ideas related to energy or advanced manufacturing industries to (307) 577-7011.
