Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead wants to update the state’s two-year-old energy strategy, potentially adding initiatives. He plans to start the information-gathering process with a series of six public meetings Aug. 4-19, he said.

Mead said three-fourths of the initiatives in the 2013, 33-page energy strategy, “Leading the Charge, Wyoming’s Action Plan for Energy, Environment and Economy,” have been completed, and the original document was designed to be revised regularly.

When unveiled with 47 initiatives, the strategy was kicked off by Mead with an eye toward the federal government (see Daily GPI, May 14, 2013). At the time, Mead told local news media that he hoped federal agencies in Washington, DC, would take note of what Wyoming was attempting, trying to create a framework to balance energy and conservation needs in a state that leads the nation in exporting energy.

A year later, Mead gave his support to a strategy by Wyoming oil/natural gas stakeholders for using liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced in the state to replace diesel fuel in many applications within the oil/gas industry (see Daily GPI, May 13, 2014). Mead released a report that was authored by a clean fuels transportation consulting firm with backing from industry.

“Wyoming LNG Roadmap Report” examined how some of the state’s gas supplies turned into LNG can supplement diesel use in mining, rail, drilling, pressure pumping and over-the-road trucking industries.

Noting that the overall strategy and its numerous initiatives were intended to be used in the state budgeting and planning processes, Mead said the past two years have brought “many successes, and we want to build on them. The purpose of these meetings is to review existing initiatives and identify additional ones to support energy development, balanced with sound environmental stewardship.”

The meetings are open to the public and comments are accepted via email to energy.strategy@wyo.gov. The schedule is Aug. 4, Gillette, WY (6-8 p.m.); Aug. 5, Casper, WY (6-8 p.m.); Aug. 12, Cody, WY (5:30-7 p.m.); Aug. 13, Jackson, WY (5:30-7 p.m.); Aug. 18, Rock Springs, WY (6-8 p.m.); and Aug. 19, Cheyenne, WY (6-8 p.m.).