Wyoming Regulators Sign Off on Big Battery Boost for Cheyenne Solar Farm — Rancher Pushes Back

A massive solar project outside Cheyenne just got the green light to supercharge its battery capacity — but not without a fight.

In a 4-2 vote Tuesday, the Wyoming Industrial Siting Division signed off on Canadian energy giant Enbridge’s request to bump battery storage for its “Cowboy II” solar farm by 50%, jumping from 133 megawatts to 200. The extra juice is meant to power a large-scale customer — rumored by some at the meeting to be a data center — though Enbridge is staying quiet on exactly who’s buying.

The expansion won’t take up more space. In fact, Enbridge says the battery system’s footprint will shrink from 6.5 acres to 4, thanks to higher-capacity tech. But the upgrade comes with a hefty price tag — an extra $135 million in materials — and potentially more tax revenue for Laramie County.

Not everyone’s cheering. Fourth-generation rancher and former state lawmaker Ed Prosser, whose land borders the site, came armed with both an attorney and emotional testimony. His main worry: lithium battery fires.

“If a fire breaks out, it’s my ranch that’s first to go,” Prosser said, tearing up as he spoke about the land his family has worked for decades. “No amount of reclamation can bring it back.”

Prosser’s lawyer pointed to a California facility that burned for days and reignited weeks later, warning that battery fires bring risks of explosions, toxic gas leaks, and chemical spills.

Enbridge pushed back, saying safety is their top priority and that they’ve operated in Wyoming since the 1950s without destroying land or property. Christian Dick, the company’s project development director, stressed that the design includes multiple safety features and an emergency response plan.

The vote wasn’t unanimous — council members Brenda Schladweiler and Jim Miller voted no, while the other four sided with Enbridge.

Prosser took small comfort in that.

“At least it wasn’t a unanimous decision,” he said afterward.

Enbridge says the project fits Wyoming’s “all-of-the-above” energy policy and is on track to be running by the end of 2027.

The original story by Clair McFarland for Cowboy State Daily.