Industrial users urge behind‑the‑meter option, ask for 5 MW threshold

Representatives of Wyoming’s large electricity consumers told the select committee that delays in interconnection and constrained utility planning have blocked expansions and that a behind‑the‑meter third‑party option could unlock near‑term growth.

"What we're trying to do is find ways to expand the operations in Wyoming, take advantage of economic opportunities, and get the power we need to do that," Thor Nelson, counsel for the Wyoming Industrial Energy Consumers, told the committee while urging statutory clarity that would let nonutility generators serve on‑site loads.

Nelson and other industrial witnesses said the Minerals Committee’s prior draft and other LSO proposals vary in thresholds and structure, and several speakers argued for a 5‑megawatt threshold to align with nearby statutory references to large loads. "We would support moving it to a 5 megawatt cap," Nelson said.

Industry witnesses also emphasized safeguards: they want protections that prevent cost shifting to other ratepayers and support provisions allowing incremental generation to serve only the new load without disconnecting from incumbents. That balance — enabling private investment while protecting residential customers — was a recurring theme in the testimony and in follow‑up questioning by committee members.