Frequently asked questions

We are developing a privately-funded project that uses primarily wind energy and water to create pollution-free hydrogen or liquid fuels which will be used to support the burgeoning clean hydrogen economy in the United States. The renewable energy generating facilities will power an electrolysis facility that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. This clean hydrogen could be used directly for numerous applications or could be further combined with other gases to make ammonia or synthetic fuels.

Wind and solar energy technology has advanced to the point where these technologies are now the lowest-cost ways to generate electricity. That makes the economics of clean hydrogen work and gives us an opportunity to create cleaner versions of the fuel we need here at home with just wind and water. Clean hydrogen is a major opportunity to increase American energy independence and create sustainable economic development in rural America. Hydrogen is a critical commodity for industry now and is in demand for new applications in energy, agriculture, industry, and transportation. Electrolysis, the process that creates hydrogen from water, has been a proven technology for more than one hundred years. However, the high amounts of electricity needed for electrolysis have prevented it from being an economical, scalable source of industrial hydrogen until now. Today’s technology makes it possible to produce clean hydrogen in a way that is useful, safe and economical. Large scale clean hydrogen projects are being announced around the world, with significant progress being made during the past year as countries and industries are aiming to decarbonize and reduce dependence on imported energy. Wyoming is working with neighboring states to support clean hydrogen and become one of the United States’ hydrogen hubs.

Pronghorn will be located on private and/or state land that is voluntarily leased by Eastern Wyoming landowners. The project area will be approximately 8 miles south of Glenrock and 25 miles east of Casper. The hydrogen processing facility will have a footprint of about 50 acres, and the wind project will include hundreds of wind turbines. We expect that the project will be located a significant distance away from neighboring communities. Most importantly, our clean hydrogen technology means the entire process will be clean, safe, and sustainable.

No. The wind project infrastructure will only encumber less than 2% of the land it is hosted on so that existing uses can be continued. A solar component to the project will require a change in the use of that property, but it will not impact surrounding ground due to the benign nature of the technology. Solar generation produces no air pollution, consumes no water, produces no audible emissions, and has minimal to no visual impacts. Landowners who choose to participate in the project will carefully review their agreements to make sure their rights and land are protected.

Rather than feeding electricity into the electric grid through transmission lines, the wind and solar energy from the Clean Hydrogen Center will primarily power the hydrogen production facility that is part of the project. By generating its own power, the project will avoid key challenges that hold up wind farm development, including the lengthy utility interconnection process, the lack of existing export transmission capacity, and the need to find buyers for the electricity it produces. Our facility may include additional equipment to combine green hydrogen with other gases to produce ammonia or synthetic fuels or simply transport the hydrogen to the end consumers. We are still evaluating the market opportunities for these technologies. Our facilities will be designed with the highest standards for safety and quality.

We can create commodities that our economy depends on right here in Wyoming while reducing pollution and creating good jobs. In many cases, the jobs will be similar in skill set and scope as traditional jobs in chemical production or refining. The project will invest billions of dollars into the local economy and create a new long-term industry using local renewable resources. This project will create hundreds of construction jobs, 75-100 long-term operations jobs and local tax revenues and landowner payments. By taking advantage of clean, renewable resources, we can increase energy independence and produce products at a stable price with a guaranteed local supply. We can create economic development in areas that have been overlooked by development in the past – we don’t need shale formations, gas pipelines or high voltage transmission lines to make this project work. We just need available land with good wind and communities who want to host our project.

The hydrogen electrolysis process is 100% clean – the raw material is water, and the byproduct is oxygen. The electricity that powers the process is produced by wind turbines and solar panels. We understand that water is a precious resource, and we are committed to using water as efficiently and responsibly as we can. The water needed to produce fuels with green hydrogen is about the same as the water required to produce these products from fossil fuels.

Like many commodities that we depend on in modern life, hydrogen, ammonia, and other fuels are closely regulated and need to be handled carefully to protect public safety. Hydrogen is similar to natural gas and gasoline in that it is highly flammable and can be explosive if handled incorrectly. Through many decades of experience, industry and regulators have developed safety protocols to ensure safe handling and use of hydrogen and ammonia. Our project will apply all applicable health safety guidelines to make sure that we are a welcome partner to the local community. We will work closely with local officials and first responders as we develop our safety plans. Wind and solar energy have been studied closely for years and have never been found to create negative impacts on human health. The equipment used in wind and solar facilities is certified and regulated to operate safely on the electric grid.

Yes. While traditional hydrogen created with fossil fuels can harm local air quality and have other environmental impacts, our use of clean wind and solar energy enables us to make environmentally friendly “clean hydrogen” that doesn’t impact local public health. Wind and solar energy are two of the most environmentally friendly forms of electrical generation on the planet. In addition, the project will conduct thorough environmental studies before construction to minimize impacts to wildlife, soil and water quality. The clean hydrogen produced by the project will power industry and transportation while reducing air pollution and climate pollution – supporting a cleaner environment while creating economic growth in Wyoming.

We believe that farmers and ranchers should decide how to best use their land and look forward to partnering with Wyoming landowners who are eager to host this project and maximize the revenue from their property. Landowners hosting the wind project will see a consistent revenue stream which will assist in maintaining continued family ownership of those ranches for generations to come. Wyoming has ample land available, and the project will be able to operate alongside other land uses.

At the end of a renewable energy project’s life, decommissioning occurs. The project owners are responsible for disconnecting and removing all equipment and returning the land to its prior use. Whenever possible, decommissioned equipment is recycled and/or repurposed.