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SF 154

Industrial, wind and solar projects-hearing deadline.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Brian Boner and 3 co-sponsors

The bill extends review and decision timelines for industrial siting permits, giving more time to cure incomplete applications, but may lengthen overall permitting timelines.

Assigned Chapter Number 78
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Bill Summary · SF 154

Summary — SF 154 (Enrolled Act No. 46, Chapter 78 — 2025)

Status: Enacted (Chapter No. 78). Governor signed. Effective date: January 1, 2026.
Primary sponsor: Sen. Boner; cosponsors: Sen. Landen, Rep. K. Campbell, Rep. Lien.

Purpose

SF 154 amends several timelines in Wyoming’s industrial development and siting statutes to give regulatory authorities and applicants more time to review, cure, hear, and decide permit applications — including industrial, wind and solar project applications.

Key provisions (statutes amended)

  • W.S. 18-5-506 (county hearings and public comment)

    • Hearing window changed to: no less than 45 days and not more than 90 days after the county determines an application is complete. (Previously: not more than 60 days.)
    • Written public comment must be accepted for at least 45 days after the application is determined complete (unchanged minimum comment length, clarified in statute).

  • W.S. 18-5-507(a) (board decision timeline)

    • Board of county commissioners must issue findings and a decision within 60 days after completion of the hearing. (Previously 45 days.)

  • W.S. 35-12-110(d) and (f) (DEQ application review and hearing)

    • If the director finds an application incomplete, the director must notify the applicant within 30 days of receipt (unchanged).
    • The applicant has 45 days (changed from 30 days) to provide requested additional information.
    • The director’s deadline to act/hold a hearing after receipt of an application is extended from 90 days to 120 days.

Who is affected

  • Applicants for industrial siting permits, including wind and solar project developers.
  • County boards of commissioners responsible for local siting hearings and decisions.
  • Director and staff at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) who review siting applications.
  • Interested members of the public who submit written comments.

Practical impact

  • Longer cure period for applicants to respond to incomplete application notices (30 → 45 days).
  • More time for the DEQ director to complete review/hold hearings (90 → 120 days).
  • Counties have a longer maximum window to schedule hearings (60 → 90 days) and more time to issue decisions after hearings (45 → 60 days).
  • Intended effect: reduce rushed review timelines, allow more thorough evaluation and response; may lengthen overall permitting timelines for projects.
  • Fiscal note: Legislative Service Office reports no significant fiscal or personnel impact.

Applicability and effective date

  • Applies to all permit applications submitted under the Industrial Development Information and Siting Act and W.S. 18-5-501 through 18-5-513 on or after January 1, 2026.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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