Probably all of us have read or at least know about the story of Don Quixote. One of the lasting tales from the story has been jousting windmills. Old Don saw windmills, thought they were giants, and proceeded to do battle even though his sidekick Sancho implored him not to! Unfortunately, there are some in elected office in this state that are jousting away at windmills that they perceive to be “hulking giants.” Actually, just last week the state jousted away at wind energy across this state, but, make no bones about it, the attack was not just on wind but on free enterprise.
Let’s be clear, Wyoming is an energy state and we should support coal, oil, natural gas, uranium, wind, solar, hydrogen and any other power source we produce here. Our goal at your Cheyenne Chamber is to support businesses to pursue what they believe is the best path forward for them and the government should stay out of it. Certainly, that is not to say the government should not regulate at all. Government should regulate to protect the health safety and welfare of our people, but when that regulation starts to single out specific components of an industry for unwarranted over regulation, it should stop.
Wyoming has benefited from almost all forms of energy, and regardless of your family being fed by the oil industry or the solar industry, ALL components of the broad advanced energy economy have been important drivers for economic development and prosperity in our state. So, when asked what energy the chamber supports it’s simple, we support ALL of it because free markets and prosperity are the drivers for our members.
Don Quixote did finally give up the jousting at windmills, and I hope that some who represent our state do so as well!