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Powder River Basin Resource Council

@prbrescouncil.bsky.social
381 followers 48 following 59 posts

We organize the people of Wyoming. We are focused on energy & ag issues in the Powder River Basin and across the state. Reposting does not imply endorsement.

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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
"'It certainly does not appear that there's much of a market right now,' said Donna Birkholz, executive director of the Powder River Basin Resource Council, a nonprofit that represents residents in northeast Wyoming and statewide." www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/natural-reso...
wyomingpublicmedia.org
There are 360 billion tons of coal under federal land, new report says
The Trump administration created a new report showing how much coal lies under public acres. It’s part of its initiative to reinvigorate the industry.
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Reposted by Powder River Basin Resource Council
WyoFile @wyofile.com · 03/08/2026
Although the sweltering heat wave has electric utilities in an all-hands-on-deck mode this summer, coal's role continues to shrink, including in Wyoming. wyofile.com/coals-share-... #wyomingnews #coal #energynews
wyofile.com
Coal’s share of electricity-production in Wyoming at all time low despite peak demand - WyoFile
Coal accounts for 47% of the state’s power production this year, down from 94% in 2008.
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Reposted by Powder River Basin Resource Council
WyoFile @wyofile.com · 03/08/2026
Wyoming and its Colorado River headwater counterparts would avoid major mandated water-use cuts, but would still remain obligated to deliver extra water from Upper Basin storage reservoirs like Flaming Gorge. wyofile.com/colorado-riv... #coloradoriverplan #watercrisis #wyomingnews
wyofile.com
Colorado River plan spares Wyoming from major cuts - WyoFile
Water managers would still heavily rely on Flaming Gorge as tool to prevent Lake Powell and Lake Mead from reaching critically low levels.
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
On data centers: "They would also produce harmful pollutants including particulate matter, formaldehyde and smog-forming nitrogen oxides that can contribute to heart disease, asthma, lung cancer, strokes and other ailments in people living nearby." www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/c...
nytimes.com
Trump’s Push for More A.I. Data Centers Will Mean Major Air Pollution (Gift Article)
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
The federal government issued an energy order for 17 states, including WY, thru 8/3 due to extreme heat. Reminder: Residential solar, plug-in solar, & community solar are all tools which provide independence & resilience for WY. That's why PRBRC works for solar. trib.com/news/state-r...
trib.com
Wyoming is under a rare federal energy order. Here's what it could mean during this week's extreme heat
A rare federal move has put Wyoming on a growing list as extreme heat pushes the power grid closer to its limits.
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
WyoGives starts TOMORROW, Wednesday, July 15 (midnight til 11:59 PM). Your donation helps us continue the critical work of protecting Wyoming's air, water, wildlife, & communities. PLUS we have matching funds and prizes this year! To donate: www.wyogives.org/organization....
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
"Wyomingites want a healthy economy & healthy communities. Forcing taxpayers to clean up after private companies that dodge responsibility and leave a mess is not the Wyoming way." (PRBRC board member Bob LeResche) Link to comment on the BLM plan in next post. (1/2) wyofile.com/new-federal-...
wyofile.com
Opinion | New federal rule leaves taxpayers to clean up drillers' messes
A proposed revision to the 2024 rule leaves too much room for companies to abandon wells and walk away from laughably small bonds, writes guest columnist Bob LeResche.
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 12/07/2024
Georgia Power's ratepayers have seen a 35% increase in their electric bills since the final Vogtle reactors finally came online in May. Nuclear power is incredibly costly and slow to build. bit.ly/4bF9A3d
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 09/07/2024
Tomorrow is the big day - WYOGives! Powder River is again participating in this Wyoming-wide day of giving, where we all can support the nonprofit organizations in our communities. Help us protect Wyoming's resources, landscapes, and communities. bit.ly/PRBWyoGiv
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 26/06/2024
USDA Announces New Rules to Protect Farmers and Ranchers - a groundbreaking proposal to ensure fair markets for our hardworking farmers and ranchers. Under the new rules, individual farmers will no longer need to prove that harmful actions by meatpackers affected the entire industry to seek justice.
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 21/05/2024
Taxpayers have a big liability hanging over their heads in many oil & gas producing states. Excellent reporting on how orphan wells can hurt nearby residents & taxpayers from @propublica.bsky.social @capitalandmain.bsky.social & Investigate TV www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHui...
youtube.com
Drilled and Drained: passing on huge costs to American taxpayers with orphan wells
One of the most profitable industries in the world is passing on a huge cost to American taxpayers with orphan wells. These are oil and gas wells that a comp...
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 16/05/2024
The Bureau of Land Management has decided to end federal coal leasing in the Powder River Basin. Powder River Board member & retired coal miner Lynne Huskinson is grateful for the agency's decision to address long-term negative impacts that coal mining has had on our region. bit.ly/3yvq2F7
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 13/05/2024
Powder River member Jill Morrison sets the record straight on the Bureau of Land Management's new federal oil and gas rules today in WyoFile. Take a few minutes to read the full piece - it's well worth your time! wyofile.com/new-bonding-...
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 10/05/2024
The state of Wyoming can't have it both ways, using carbon capture to prop up coal plants then suing when @EPA requires it wyofile.com/wyoming-sues... #hypocrisy @DBleizeffer
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 10/05/2024
At a state energy summit, Wyoming continues to hold up fossil fuels as the key to the state's future while downplaying the role renewable energy can take. Wyoming is being left behind in the energy transition. Great coverage by Inside Climate News bit.ly/3QAVmc4
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 07/05/2024
Get inspired to start a local foods business! Wyoming's Veggie Lady, LeAnn Miller, shares her wealth of experience: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNLg... #localfood #eatlocal #growlocal #wyoming
youtube.com
Growing Your Local Food Business with LeAnn Miller
LeAnn Miller, aka The Veggie Lady, from Casper, Wyoming shares her experience and advice for local food producers interested in starting or expanding their b...
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 19/04/2024
Spring is the season of renewal! Membership renewal that is! Thanks to all of our members who recently sent in your membership renewal forms and donations. For those that haven't yet, it's easy to do online. Visit: www.powderriverbasin.org/donate-join/
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 12/04/2024
Today! @BLMNational released long overdue rules to modernize #oilandgas bonding requirements for federal wells on #publiclands and split estate lands. Our release here: www.worc.org/media/PRESS-... Read BLM's here: www.blm.gov/press-releas...
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Reposted by Powder River Basin Resource Council
Western Organization of Resource Councils @worcaction.bsky.social · 27/03/2024
Tackling #climatechange with shade nets & overcoming land access challenges, Brian Berglund's journey exemplifies resilience & innovation in #agriculture. Read his inspiring story & get motivated to pursue your own dreams! #LocalAg #Innovation www.homegrownstories.org/farming-agai...
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 20/03/2024
Powder River & the Wyoming Outdoor Council have been pushing the WY Dept of Environmental Quality for years for better regulation of this oil & gas wastewater discharge. A new report shows that 2 creeks can't sustain aquatic life. Thanks to WyoFile for the great reporting wyofile.com/creeks-taint...
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 14/03/2024
We love #pie, especially when it is locally made with fresh ingredients. Happy #piday ! #growWyoming #localfood #foodfreedom #piesbyguys
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 12/03/2024
The Sheridan Seed Library is made possible by the generous heirloom seed companies who donate seed packets every year. Thank you to: Baker Creek Seeds, Heirloom Seed Company, Sow Right Seeds, Seed Savers Exchange, West Coast Seeds, Living Seed Company, High Mowing Seeds & Territorial Seed Company!
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 08/03/2024
Wyoming lawmakers have doubled down on the state's carbon capture mandate, despite the fact that utilities haven't been able to make it work, and it's already costing ratepayers money bit.ly/4c5dZhg
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 07/03/2024
Join us for Growing Your Local Food Business at noon on March 22 at the Sheridan County Public Library. This is a good opportunity for established or new food producers. Register today at: bit.ly/growlocalfood
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 29/02/2024
Good news! This bill died in committee today. #solarenergy #renewableenergy #solarpower #sunnyfuture
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 29/02/2024
Our latest newsletter is arriving in mailboxes this week. If you're not yet a member, consider joining us and we'll send you a copy six times a year full of content on #energy & #agriculture issues. You can also read via our website: www.powderriverbasin.org/wp-content/u...
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 21/02/2024
Action Alert! Take action! Tell your WY Senator to vote NO on SF 72 - it's a backdoor attack on rooftop solar! Email your Senator via the online hotline: www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/... Let's stop this sneaky attack on Wyoming rooftop solar
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 18/02/2024
Almost all Wyomingites support common-sense measures to increase financial assurance for the #oilandgas industry to make sure operators, not taxpayers, plug & reclaim wells and restore landscapes where drilling occurs on public & private lands.
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 16/02/2024
Today in WyoFile, Powder River's Board Chair, David Romtvedt, points out that SF 44 will strip local control over small mining operations. wyofile.com/mining-bill-...
A gravel mine photo with a quote that says: That's it. No oversight from local authorities, as county commissions are barred from preventing such mining operations. No ability of adjacent landowners and neighbors to comment on the influence a particular mine might have on their lives.
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 15/02/2024
Today we joined 50+ organizations in releasing a platform identifying the problems behind a new wave of unreclaimed, modern-era coal mines harming our communities, and the policy changes needed to address these problems. #ZombieMines #MineCleanup www.zombiemines.org
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Reposted by Powder River Basin Resource Council
Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 12/02/2024
After 4 years & millions of dollars, Ronn Smith says HB 200 can't be fixed: "Until the prevailing technology stabilizes or a replacement emerges, we should view coal plant carbon capture as pre-commercial and ill-suited for regulatory mandates." wyofile.com/mandated-car...
wyofile.com
Mandated carbon capture sequesters resources better used elsewhere - WyoFile
Wyoming lawmakers are once again proposing fixes to a bill mandating carbon capture and storage at coal-fired power plants, but one energy industry engineer argues it’s time to focus on technology tha...
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 12/02/2024
After 4 years & millions of dollars, Ronn Smith says HB 200 can't be fixed: "Until the prevailing technology stabilizes or a replacement emerges, we should view coal plant carbon capture as pre-commercial and ill-suited for regulatory mandates." wyofile.com/mandated-car...
wyofile.com
Mandated carbon capture sequesters resources better used elsewhere - WyoFile
Wyoming lawmakers are once again proposing fixes to a bill mandating carbon capture and storage at coal-fired power plants, but one energy industry engineer argues it’s time to focus on technology tha...
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 09/02/2024
Excellent deep dive by Inside Climate News on Wyoming's reluctance to take federal dollars for clean energy while continuing to spend state tax dollars on risky projects & technology that prolongs fossil fuels. The state does not have a good track record with these types of endeavors bit.ly/3HSzx2M
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 07/02/2024
We are pleased to see the new standard for #airpollution from EPA. Commonly referred to as PM2.5 or soot, this fine particulate matter poses severe health risks like heart disease and cancer. This rule changes the annual standard from 12 to 9 micrograms per cubic meter
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 05/02/2024
Atlas Carbon, the first company to commercialize non-combustive uses for coal , has defaulted on a $15 million loan from the State of Wyoming wyofile.com/atlas-carbon... @dbleizeffer.bsky.social
wyofile.com
Atlas Carbon defaults on $15M publicly funded state loan - WyoFile
The first company to commercialize a non-combustive use for Wyoming's Powder River Basin coal must open its books. State could seize assets.
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 02/02/2024
This is a good read from @dbleizeffer.bsky.social at WyoFile on a bill proposing to stimulate enhanced oil recovery using $10 million in Wyoming taxpayer dollars wyofile.com/lawmakers-fl...
wyofile.com
Lawmakers float $10M 'stimulus' for enhanced oil recovery in Wyoming - WyoFile
The stimulus is intended to "equalize" a federal tax incentive that rewards permanent CO2 storage over carbon dioxide used to produce oil.
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Reposted by Powder River Basin Resource Council
Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 26/01/2024
You can't judge your beef by its sticker says Joyce Evans, a rancher & Powder River board member. She makes the case for mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef in WyoFile today wyofile.com/you-cant-jud...
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 26/01/2024
You can't judge your beef by its sticker says Joyce Evans, a rancher & Powder River board member. She makes the case for mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef in WyoFile today wyofile.com/you-cant-jud...
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 25/01/2024
On today's agenda: PacifiCorp's 1st stakeholder meeting for the 2025 Integrated Resource Plan. There is a lot at stake for stakeholders in Wyoming and throughout the Western U.S. as the company & our nation undergo an energy transition. Learn more: www.pacificorp.com/energy/integ...
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 24/01/2024
A second utility has received permission to increase rates for its customers due to Wyoming #carboncapture mandate. Black Hills Energy customers will start paying a $1.1 million surcharge starting in February wyofile.com/wyomings-coa... @dbleizeffer.bsky.social
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 23/01/2024
Read @stopitkatie.bsky.social deep dive on the mining impacts of the energy transition. grist.org/energy/oil-c... Will the same companies exploit our natural resources and create the same kind of harm as fossil fuel companies? Or can we create a different kind of future?
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 17/01/2024
The oil and gas industry is complaining about reduced lease sales, but Powder River's Katherine Stahl says that “they [industry] likely have more land than what they would reasonably be able to develop." Read more: bit.ly/48U2HKn @dbleizeffer.bsky.social
bit.ly
Industry: BLM is withholding priority oil and gas tracts in Wyoming - WyoFile
Conservation groups say smaller lease sales are a response to industry's 'tepid' interest in new tracts because it has access to plenty of federal acreage already.
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 16/01/2024
Register for Equality State Policy Center's 2024 SHAPE Wyoming training bit.ly/3S2xeih. The training will be virtual this year, so you can learn how to be an effective lobbyist from the comfort of your own home.
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 12/01/2024
Join Powder River & Wyoming Outdoor Council on January 22nd at noon for a preview of the 2024 Wyoming legislative session. Learn what to expect this session as well as how best to contact your legislators. Grab your lunch and join us on Zoom! Registration: bit.ly/2024wyleg
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 05/01/2024
The shift from coal to renewable energy is well underway, and 2023 may have been peak coal. It's high time Wyoming's leaders realize where the market is headed and start making real plans for our communities. www.canarymedia.com/articles/fos...
canarymedia.com
Chart: Coal-fired electricity may have peaked in 2023
The global energy mix is rapidly shifting away from the dirtiest fossil fuel and toward renewables, but the change is not everywhere — or fast enough.
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 03/01/2024
Need a refresher on how to navigate the Wyoming Legislature’s website? Curious about what bills and issues will come up in February? Spend your lunchtime with us & Wyoming Outdoor Council on Monday Jan 22 at noon to hone your skills on how to lobby from home. Please RSVP: bit.ly/2024wyleg
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 02/01/2024
We joined with WORC & dozens of allies in urging USDA to restore the Packers & Stockyards Act before small producers are all pushed out of business www.worc.org/western-ranchers-need-swift-completion-of-packers-and-stockyards-act-rules/
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Justin Mikulka @justinmikulka.bsky.social · 02/01/2024
"But here’s the truth: At $35 billion, Plant Vogtle is the most expensive power plant ever built on earth. Vogtle’s electricity is estimated to cost $170–$180/MWh...solar plus storage would have cost between $4 billion and $5 billion, less than a fourth the cost of Vogtle."
powermag.com
Plant Vogtle: Not a Star, but a Tragedy for the People of Georgia
In a recent guest essay entitled “A Star Is Born, as Plant Vogtle Nuclear Expansion Enters Service,” Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols wrote glowingly about Plant Vogtle, the first [�...
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 31/12/2023
Wishing you all a Happy 2024 from Powder River! Hope you ring in the New Year safely!
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Powder River Basin Resource Council @prbrescouncil.bsky.social · 20/12/2023
Join Powder River & Wyoming Outdoor Council on Jan 22nd for a preview of the 2024 legislative session! Grab some lunch & join us on Zoom. Register bit.ly/2024wyleg
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