Wyoming Launches Energy Rebound Program

November 13, 2020

This past Wednesday Governor Mark Gordon (R-WY) announced a stimulus program aimed to help the oil and gas industry recover from the economic struggle it is currently facing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the CARES Act, the program is making $15 million available to operators and will help provide resources for well cleanup and finishing uncompleted oil and gas wells.

Gov. Gordon discusses how this program will not only help the individual workers but Wyoming’s economy as a whole.

“These funds will have a direct impact on Wyoming’s employment rate and put people back to work in our oil and gas sector which was impacted by COVID-19,” Gordon said. “It will provide opportunities for employees who lost jobs when drilling ceased. The oil and gas industry is a huge contributor to Wyoming revenues, employment, and its overall economy. These dollars will assist in our state’s economic rebound.”

The program is also getting high praise from gas companies in Wyoming, the Petroleum Association of Wyoming released the following statement.

“The Energy Rebound Program is very welcome news to our members and the industry as a whole,” Pete Obermueller, president of the association, said in a statement. “This program means immediate jobs in Wyoming’s natural gas and oil industry during this challenging time. Governor Gordon and his staff should be applauded for their strategic approach. Rather than a simple payment, the Governor has ensured that every dollar spent in this program will create jobs, leverage revenue returns to the state, accelerate important reclamation activities, or all of the above.”

Wyoming is a great example of how political leaders who understand the importance of the oil and gas industry can help their constituents. Gov. Gordon’s program will help the hard-working middle-class citizens he represents tremendously, which in return will help boost Wyoming’s economy and provide its citizens with reliable and affordable energy during the winter months. We need more states to follow Wyoming’s lead and help the energy sector rather than attacking it and supporting proposals that will push our energy dependence overseas.