Transition obstructionism and ‘embodied energy injustice:’ a Wyoming case study

ABSTRACT

Wyoming is the epicentre of the coal transition in the United States. The coal industry is critical to the state’s economy, both in terms of jobs and a state revenue model dependent on federal coal leasing payments, mineral royalties, and mining severance taxes. However, due to economic, regulatory, and political pressures, the U.S. is currently on track to retire half of its coal-fired electricity generation capacity by 2026. Accordingly, Wyoming faces an uncertain future. Despite the difficult path ahead, many Wyoming policymakers, industry officials, and residents express hostility toward the idea of transition. This often manifests in opposition to renewable energy through policies that double down on investments in fossil fuel energy, despite the increased availability of federal resources and programmes to ease the burden of change. I refer to this phenomenon as transition obstructionism. While transition obstructionism is detrimental to residents across the state, harm is also distributed downstream in the fossil fuel lifecycle, particularly in historically marginalised communities. This article reviews recent efforts by state lawmakers and institutions to actively disincentivize transition and prolong the fossil fuel economy in Wyoming. It then considers how transition obstructionism contributes to ‘embodied energy injustices’ both within and beyond Wyoming.

KEYWORDS:

• Energy transition
• just transition
• environmental justice
• coal
• Wyoming

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 It is important to note that Wyoming is not a monolith, and there are a handful of organizations actively advocating in favor of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, including the Powder River Basin Resource Council, Better Wyoming, and various state level chapters of organizations like the Sierra Club and the Nature Conservancy. However, these groups are in the minority and do have the power to set the agenda for state energy policy. The focus of this article is on resistance to transition as a hegemonic political position in the state.

2 The author of this paper is a co-investigator on this research project.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Matthew S. Henry

Matthew Henry is a social scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and former researcher and faculty member at the University of Wyoming. His research focuses on environmental and climate justice, water and energy systems, and just transition frameworks. He is particularly interested in the ways cultural narratives impact climate and energy policymaking and working with communities to bridge the gap between clean energy initiatives and community values and aspirations. He published his first book, Hydronarratives: Water, Environmental Justice, and Imagining a Just Transition (University of Nebraska Press), in early 2023. Dr. Henry has also conducted community-focused research on environmental justice and energy and water transitions in the rural U.S. West and beyond.