From coal mines to rare earths to a cutting-edge nuclear reactor, Wyoming has a rich energy history (and future). On this episode of Energy Frontier: The Wyoming Landscape, Dr. Holly Krutka sits down with Rita Meyer, a long-time Wyoming resident with a front-row seat to this evolution. They discuss Rita's remarkable career, her insights on the state's diverse energy landscape, and why Wyoming's unique blend of resources, expertise, and supportive environment makes it a prime location for energy innovation – including the exciting potential of nuclear power and her involvement with TerraPower's Natrium power plant under construction today. They also discuss Ms. Meyer's leadership approach, developed from her life in the military, public service and the energy sector. Join us for a fascinating conversation about the past, present, and future of energy in The Equality State.

This episode explores the cutting-edge world of coal-derived asphalt with experts Trina Pfeiffer, Director of the UW School of Energy Resources, Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion, and Dr. Jeramie Adams, Vice President at Western Research Institute. Discover how Wyoming, a state rich in coal resources, is leading the charge in developing sustainable and high-performance asphalt for our roads and infrastructure. Learn about the innovative processes, environmental benefits, economic potential, and collaborative research and development process underpinning this groundbreaking technology.

Despite some recent increases, Wyoming continues to have low cost electricity compared to national averages – even as the state weighs different energy sources and innovative options like nuclear energy and carbon capture and storage. The current Chairman of the Wyoming Public Service Commission, Mary Throne, talks about her journey to serve on the Commission, how the Commission functions, and why she thinks Wyoming is the right place for energy innovation.

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, and other forms of digital innovation have become buzzwords, but these increasingly common terms underly powerful technologies that can be applied to the energy sector. In this episode, Dr. Krutka sits down with Dr. Soheil Saraji, the director of the newest center of excellence at the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources – the center for Subsurface Energy and Digital Innovation, to discuss how these technologies work, why they might be useful to Wyoming’s energy sector, and what opportunities may await students entering this field of study.

As the least populated state in the nation, and a place where outdoor recreation is a way of life, Wyomingites deeply value wild lands and wildlife. Balancing energy production with Wyoming’s respect for the natural world requires diverse stakeholders to work together to find balance. Perhaps no organization is more emblematic of such collaboration than the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust, led by executive director Bob Budd. Mr. Budd sits down with Dr. Krutka to talk about the Trust, the sage-grouse implementation team (SIGT), how industry, state and federal stakeholders, conservation groups have successfully increased habitat for this important bird, and how Wyoming’s process might be a model for protecting wildlife habitat in the west and beyond.

It is often said that nuclear energy is experiencing a renaissance and Wyoming has the opportunity to play a significant role in several different areas of this dynamic industry. The Equality State’s first nuclear energy power plant is TerraPower’s NatriumTM demonstration facility, which is under construction in Kemmerer. Wyoming has the opportunity to leverage this first-of-a-kind plant to grow its nuclear energy sector to create jobs and economic development. In this episode, Dr. Krutka interviews Jeff Navin, TerraPower’s Director of External Affairs, to discuss the many factors driving a resurgence in nuclear energy in Wyoming, the Nation, and the world – and to talk about the reason Wyoming was selected as the first host site.

Like most energy states, Wyoming has stranded infrastructure due to the boom and busts associated with energy production, including in the Powder River Basin where a coal bed methane industry has been decimated by a decade of low natural gas prices. An original UW School of Energy Resources center of excellence, the Center for Biogenic Natural Gas Research, was created to find ways to leverage that stranded infrastructure. Led by Dr. Michael Urynowicz, the Center invented a way to use the microorganisms in deep coal seams to create new, renewable gas using agricultural waste. That technology is being commercialized by a spin-off company called Cowboy Clean Fuels, led by CEO Ryan Waddington. Cowboy Clean Fuels has big aspirations and could change the fate of stranded infrastructure while creating new Wyoming energy products. In this episode, Dr. Krutka sits down with Dr. Urynowicz and Mr. Waddington to talk about science, technology, and commercialization.

Eli Ellis is a researcher at the Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion at the School of Energy Resources. In this episode, Dr. Krutka and Mr. Ellis discuss his time as a student studying mechanical engineering at the University of Wyoming, why he wanted to stay in his home state of Wyoming, and why he is choosing to spend his early career as part of an SER team researching technologies that consume Wyoming coal for non-energy uses. Mr. Ellis specifically discusses his work on a process called 'pyrolysis' that generates a char used for a variety of novel products.