Leading the future the Wyoming way

For years, Wyoming has talked about economic diversification.

Governors have talked about it and legislators have argued about it. Business leaders have dreamed about it, and editorial writers have written about it.

Meanwhile, Wyoming has continued to struggle with the same challenges that have haunted the state for decades. Our young people leave, our communities age, and our economy rises and falls with commodity prices. Then we wonder why our children and grandchildren cannot find enough opportunities to stay and build their futures in the state they love.

Now, for perhaps the first time in a generation, Wyoming finds itself staring directly at an opportunity that actually plays to its strengths.

The question is whether we will seize it.

Governor Mark Gordon’s recently announced framework for data center development is not a perfect plan. No plan ever is. But it represents something Wyoming desperately needs: a serious effort to capitalize on advantages that few other places possess.

For more than a century, Wyoming has powered America with coal, oil, natural gas, uranium and wind. Whether people like it or not, energy is what Wyoming does better than almost anyone else because it is one of the few areas where our geography, climate, resources and culture give us a genuine competitive advantage.

The emergence of large-scale data centers and artificial intelligence creates an opportunity to take that advantage and expand it into the economy of the future.

The world needs energy, computing power and data infrastructure, and Wyoming is uniquely positioned to provide all three. That reality should not be controversial, but unfortunately, this is 2026, which means almost everything becomes controversial.

Some people oppose data centers because they are suspicious of technology. Others oppose them because they are suspicious of corporations. Still others oppose them because they are suspicious of anything new.

On the other side are those who seem willing to approve anything with a large dollar sign attached to it without asking enough questions about long-term impacts.

The Third Side has a different answer. Ask the questions. Then build the projects.

The Third Side believes Gov. Gordon is largely right about the opportunity before Wyoming. The governor’s framework recognizes that both opportunity and caution have value. It seeks to protect ratepayers, preserve local control, safeguard water resources, involve communities in decision-making and ensure that Wyoming workers benefit from new investment. Those are not unreasonable conditions. In fact, they are exactly the kinds of expectations Wyoming should place on any industry seeking to do business here.

The state’s abundant energy resources, cool climate, business-friendly environment and existing expertise in large-scale industrial development create a rare opportunity to position Wyoming at the center of the emerging artificial intelligence and data economy. Opportunities that align so naturally with Wyoming’s existing strengths do not come along very often, and it would be foolish to ignore them because of political slogans, ideological purity tests or fear of change.

At the same time, Sen. Cheri Steinmetz is demonstrating a desire for us to ask the right questions by requesting that the Legislature hold a special session to dive into these issues.

If this opportunity is truly as significant as supporters claim, then shouldn’t Wyoming’s people have the benefit of a thorough public debate involving the full Legislature?

The Third Side believes the answer is yes.

That does not mean Gordon’s executive order is wrong. In fact, many of the principles outlined in his Wyoming Data Center Development Framework are exactly the kinds of safeguards Wyoming citizens should expect regarding water use, wildlife protection, local control, workforce development, infrastructure and ratepayer protections.

But an executive order is not a long-term policy solution.

Governors come and go. Administrations change. Executive orders can be modified, replaced or rescinded. Lasting policy should be established through the legislative process whenever possible, especially when the decisions being made may influence Wyoming’s economy and way of life for generations.

Data centers, artificial intelligence infrastructure, energy production, water resources and transmission development represent one of the most significant economic questions Wyoming has faced in decades. They deserve more than social media arguments, campaign talking points and political posturing.

They deserve a serious statewide conversation, and that is why we support Steinmetz’s call for a special session.

Not because Wyoming should slam on the brakes or embrace fear, and certainly not because Wyoming should reject development.

The special session should provide an opportunity for Wyoming residents to learn about these projects, understand their impacts, ask difficult questions and participate in developing a framework that positions Wyoming to become the nation’s leader in both energy production and the infrastructure that will power the 21st-century economy.

The best outcome would be for Gov. Gordon and the Legislature to work together to help Wyoming citizens understand both the opportunities and the risks, and then develop a plan that enjoys broad public support and reflects Wyoming values.

Wyoming’s future should not be determined solely through executive action, nor should it be delayed indefinitely by endless studies and committee hearings. The better path lies somewhere between those two extremes.

Bring the Legislature together. Bring the people into the conversation. Examine the facts openly and honestly. Then adopt a plan that allows Wyoming to not merely participate in the future but also to lead it.

Former U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi often spoke about finding the 80%. Instead of focusing on the 20% we disagree about, he encouraged people to identify the 80% where common ground exists and build from there.

That wisdom applies perfectly to this conversation. Most Wyoming residents support protecting water resources, maintaining local control, preserving wildlife and open spaces and continued availability of affordable electricity. Most also support creating jobs, growing the economy and providing opportunities for future generations.

That is the 80%, but the loudest voices on either side want us to believe those goals are incompatible — when, in fact, they are not.

Wyoming has spent decades proving that economic development and responsible stewardship can coexist. The state has not always gotten the balance right, but it has accumulated more experience than almost any place in America when it comes to managing large-scale energy development.

Rather than allowing national political narratives, social media outrage or ideological talking points to dictate the conversation, Wyoming can demonstrate what thoughtful leadership looks like. We can evaluate projects on their merits, insist on strong safeguards and move forward when those safeguards
are met.

The most American thing a state can do when opportunity presents itself is lead, and leadership has been thrust upon Wyoming before. Our miners powered the nation. Our ranchers fed it. Our energy workers helped fuel its growth and prosperity.

Now another opportunity has arrived, and the question is whether Wyoming will rise to meet it. Will we become the nation’s premier producer of reliable energy and the infrastructure needed to power the digital economy of the 21st century, or will we allow fear, division and political posturing to send those opportunities elsewhere?

The Third Side believes the answer should be obvious.

When Wyoming has the chance to lead, Wyoming should lead. Not recklessly or blindly, and certainly not without asking hard questions — but confidently, thoughtfully and together.

For generations Wyoming powered America. The question now is whether Wyoming is willing to help power the future. If the answer is yes, then Gov. Gordon, Sen. Steinmetz, legislative leaders and local officials should work together to build a Wyoming strategy that enjoys broad public support and allows the state to dominate the industries that are shaping the next century.

Opportunities like this do not come along very often, and Wyoming should not let this one pass by.

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