Energy

HB 145 replaces multiple existing fees for electric vehicles with a single per-kilowatt-hour tax on electricity used to power them. It reduces the annual decal fee for plug-in hybrid vehicles from $200 to $100 and sets a $200 annual fee for all-electric vehicles (previously subject to overlapping taxes). The bill allows EV owners to receive refunds for electricity purchased for vehicle use and requires clear display of the new electricity-based tax. This directly affects Wyoming residents who own electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles by eliminating "triple taxation" on their vehicles and shifting the tax burden to electricity usage.

Wyoming's HB 116 prohibits the industrial production of hydrogen by separating water molecules (hydrogen and oxygen atoms) from being considered a "beneficial use" of water under state law. This directly affects companies seeking permits for hydrogen production facilities that rely on molecular water destruction. The bill requires the state engineer to reject such water use applications, with exceptions for wastewater or by-product water use. It applies to all new permit applications filed on or after July 1, 2026, and does not retroactively invalidate existing permits issued before that date.

HB 46 expands Wyoming's existing tax on electricity production from wind resources to also include electricity generated from solar and nuclear facilities. It repeals the separate tax on nuclear electricity and updates the tax rules to cover all three energy sources under a single framework. The tax applies to electricity produced from solar or nuclear resources starting January 1, 2027, and requires producers to report megawatt-hour output annually. This bill directly affects electricity producers using solar or nuclear power in Wyoming, changing how they report and pay taxes on their output.