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High Country News

High Country News

A nonprofit independent magazine of unblinking journalism that shines a light on all of the complexities of the West.

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Wind energy

Posted inIssues

Western economies falter under the Trump administration

by Jonathan Thompson November 10, 2025

Tariffs, layoffs and federal funding clawbacks stress budgets.

Pres. Trump in front of energy dominance sign
Posted inArticles

The nation’s energy dominance falters

by Jonathan Thompson October 30, 2025

Trump is killing clean energy, and it’s not even helping fossil fuels.

Posted inArticles

The Trump administration’s war on wind

by Shi En Kim September 30, 2025September 30, 2025

How energy companies and states are navigating federal policy that’s hostile to wind.

Posted inArticles

How to make electricity in the West cheaper and more reliable

by Shi En Kim September 25, 2025September 26, 2025

Regionalized power markets give utilities more buying options, driving down prices and boosting stability.

A farmer harvests a wheat field with a combine harvester, next to wind turbines.
Posted inArticles

How Interior is using environmental laws to suppress renewable energy

by Rebecca Egan McCarthy August 26, 2025August 26, 2025

The Trump administration is turning environmentalists’ legal playbook against them.

Posted inArticles

The Trump team sets double standard on migratory bird rules

by Chris D’Angelo August 7, 2025

The administration said it will go hunting for cases of wind energy companies unintentionally killing migratory birds — something it has long argued is not a violation of federal law.

Posted inArticles

How communities, officials and developers can work together on renewable energy development

by Erin X. Wong January 21, 2025January 23, 2025

Researcher Katherine Hoff explains how negotiation and dialogue can smooth the energy transition.

Posted inArticles

How to solve local opposition to green development

by Erin X. Wong January 16, 2025January 23, 2025

Bespoke community benefits agreements can offer residents tangible gains in return for the disturbance of development.

Posted inArticles

Who’s against wind development in ‘The Crazies’?

by Ian Max Stevenson January 3, 2025

Amy Gamerman’s new book examines attempts to block the energy transition in Montana’s Crazy Mountains.

Posted inArticles

Jimmy Carter’s mixed environmental record

by Jonathan Thompson January 3, 2025

The former president emphasized conservation, protection — and coal mining.

Workers at Wild Horse Wind Farm in central Washington.
Posted inJanuary 2025: The West's Most Wanted

Wind energy jobs are taking off, but so are risks 

by Brooke Larsen January 1, 2025

Workers are pushing for improved training and safety standards to help avoid falls, electrocution and equipment failure.

Posted inArticles

Tribes sue after massive wind farm in Washington gets green light

by Natalia Mesa December 20, 2024

The Yakama Nation contends that the project, which threatens ceremonial sites and wildlife habitat, is unlawful.

Posted inArticles

Trump vs. Biden on the climate

by Jonathan Thompson May 31, 2024August 8, 2024

The next presidential election will have huge ramifications for the planet.

Posted inArticles

Can carbon capture transition California’s oil fields?

by Jake Bittle May 15, 2024August 8, 2024

In Kern County, the community searches for an economic alternative to a fossil fuel industry. Will it be any fairer than the old one?

Posted inArticles

Wildlife habitat and tribal cultures threatened by Washington’s largest wind farm

by B. ‘Toastie’ Oaster April 26, 2024August 8, 2024

The newly approved renewable energy project is planned across an eco-corridor and ceremonial sites.

Posted inArticles

Tribes turn to the U.N. for help intervening in gigantic Arizona wind project

by Taylar Dawn Stagner April 23, 2024August 8, 2024

The SunZia transmission line will cut through Indigenous lands in the Southwest.

Posted inJanuary 1, 2024: January 2024

Labor unions and environmentalists are working together on the energy transition

by Brooke Larsen January 1, 2024March 30, 2024

In 2023, groups found solidarity on the climate, but work lies ahead.

Posted inJanuary 1, 2024: January 2024

12 not-so-easy steps to decarbonize the grid

by Jonathan Thompson January 1, 2024February 6, 2024

Electrifying will make a difference if that power comes from clean sources.

A solar panel covered parking lot on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, Arizona.
Posted inArticles

Pondering public lands and the energy transition conundrum

by Jonathan Thompson November 30, 2023February 1, 2024

Fighting the climate crisis will require difficult choices.

Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry

New legislation is creating a clean-energy project pulse

by Jonathan Thompson October 2, 2023January 24, 2024

Will the manufacturing renaissance finally displace fossil fuels?

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