Pressure for climate action coupled with competitive prices for wind, solar and natural gas has made many states move from coal-fired power quicker than expected, and for a state that supplies 40% of the country’s coal to 29 states, that evolution is a threat.
“All those coal units that are being supplied by Wyoming coal are subject to those state policies,” Fornstrom told Utility Dive. That puts her state in a uniquely vulnerable position as the energy sector rapidly transitions away from coal, she said.