SLIB Approves $4 Million for Critical Lincoln County Infrastructure, Prompts Strategic Shift for Wyoming Business Council

Cheyenne, Wyo. – The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) successfully presented a crucial infrastructure funding request to the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) at its Oct. 2, 2025, meeting. The SLIB voted unanimously to approve just over $4 million in Business Ready Community (BRC) grant funding to Lincoln County for an immediate-need sewer infrastructure project identified as a binding constraint to regional economic growth.

The decision on the project led to a broader strategic discussion, with WBC CEO Josh Dorrell challenging the board to push the Council to pivot from addressing individual project funding to architecting systemic solutions for community development across Wyoming.

Addressing a Binding Constraint to Growth

The approved funding, which exceeded the county’s original $2.9 million request, targets a severe lack of sewer capacity in the Kemmerer/Diamondville area. The existing sewer plant, built in the 1970s, is beyond its designed life and has reached capacity. This has forced the local Joint Powers Board to issue “do not serve” letters to new developers, effectively halting all housing and commercial expansion.

“There is such a significant lack of sewer capacity in the region, and we have concerns that the proposal is not enough to alleviate this barrier to growth for Lincoln County,” explained Noelle Reed, WBC Grants Portfolio Manager. “That is why the recommendation is higher than their request.”

Selected as the site for TerraPower’s Natrium project in 2021, the ongoing need for updated infrastructure has been accelerated to accommodate an estimated 2,000 new homes and an influx of up to 3,000 incoming workers.

The WBC’s increased funding recommendation will cover the cost of the sewer pipeline, a treatment building, and a second modular building to ensure adequate capacity, immediately alleviating the “binding constraint” on development. This stopgap measure is necessary while the community pursues a long-term plan for a full plant replacement.

The infrastructure is essential to serve a new housing development and attract new business ventures, including the 500 permanent employees expected from TerraPower. The project will also provide a solution for the 56% of county residents who currently have no option but to haul their septic waste up to 250 miles one way to neighboring states.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Defenfelder characterized the proposal as a “compelling project” that addresses “core needs, goods, and services,” emphasizing that this is the type of essential infrastructure the state must fund.

A Strategic Shift: From ‘Band-Aids’ to Systemic Solutions

Following the approval, Dorrell used the Lincoln County case to urge a fundamental change in the state’s approach to infrastructure investment.

“While we appreciate the leadership in making these difficult decisions, we must acknowledge that the funding we provide is often a Band-Aid to the deeper problem that Wyoming faces – the growing infrastructure needs at the community level,” Dorrell said. “As leaders, we don’t just make the decision on the Band-Aid; we have to look at the process that creates the wound. I ask this Board to push the Business Council to analyze and help us fix the underlying system problem that is preventing our local communities from controlling their own sources of revenue and funding for these essential projects.”

SLIB members responded positively, issuing clear directives for the WBC to convene key partners to map statewide infrastructure needs and coordinate funding efforts. 

This strategic pivot signals the WBC’s evolution from a reactive body funding individual projects to a proactive architect of systemic solutions designed to empower community self-sufficiency and secure Wyoming’s economic future.

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