It comes as no surprise that the recent ENDOW report zeros in on the potential economic benefits of wind energy. Wyoming’s Department of Workforce Services annual report, which was also recently released, found that adding 100 wind energy jobs would create an additional 212 jobs and over $130 million in increased total economic output for the state. This is more of an economic impact than any other industry in Wyoming would create when adding the same number of jobs. The positive effects of employment in wind energy would reverberate through the state’s various employment sectors boosting jobs for professionals, technicians, and service providers. Both reports demonstrate and quantify the wind industry’s ability to diversify and expand Wyoming’s economy.

For too long, Wyoming has relied on its natural competitive advantage of strong wind resources to try to attract wind development, all the while, neighboring states have been winning over wind turbine manufacturing companies and wind projects with better business climates that make up for their inferior wind resources. The ENDOW report highlighted this as a barrier and recommended that Wyoming created a friendlier tax climate for wind energy.