CASPER, Wyo. – The Wyoming State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) approved Business Ready Community (BRC) grants and loans totaling $10,745,675 and $5 million for a Governor’s Data Center Recruitment grant this morning at its meeting in Cheyenne, Wyo.
The Wyoming Business Council administers the BRC program, which provides the financing for publicly owned infrastructure that serves the needs of businesses and promotes economic development and diversity within Wyoming communities.
The Business Council Board of Directors is required by state statute to forward all BRC recommendations to the SLIB for final approval. The Business Council board made its funding recommendations to the SLIB at its Dec. 4 meeting in Lusk, Wyo.
The SLIB is comprised of the five statewide elected officials: Gov. Matt Mead, Secretary of State Ed Murray, State Treasurer Mark Gordon, State Auditor Cynthia Cloud, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow.
BRC Business Committed applications
•Albany County requested a $1,459,807 Business Committed grant to drill and construct a well for the Phase II expansion of the Pete Lein and Sons, Inc. quarry for its lime plant operations. (Funded by the SLIB in full)
•Laramie requested a $2,983,879 Business Committed grant to develop a lot and construct an 8,236 Square-foot technology center for Underwriters Laboratories’ expansion into Laramie. (SLIB funded the grant request in full. The city of Laramie was also approved for a $433,161 BRC Special Assistance loan which provides the city’s match for the project.)
BRC Community Readiness
•Gillette requested a $3 million Community Readiness loan and $2 million Community Readiness grant to assist the city with the expansion of its city-owned electrical utility infrastructure. (SLIB provided $1,645,046 in grant funding and $2,645,046 as a loan.)
•Guernsey requested a $437,650 Community Readiness grant for the installation of a second electrical transformer to provide redundant power and decrease the load on the existing transformer. Guernsey owns and operates its own electric utility. (Funded by the SLIB in full)
•Thayne requested a $1,141,086 Community Readiness grant to improve 5.34 acres of commercial space in the center of town, making it ready for business development and data center recruitment. (Funded by the SLIB in full)
GOVERNOR’S DATA CENTER RECRUITMENT GRANT APPLICATION
Similar to the Business Ready Community grant application process, Business Council staff review each Governor’s Data Center Recruitment Grant application and conduct site visits before making presentations to a Business Council board subcommittee, then final recommendations to the full board. The SLIB then submits its recommendations to the governor, who has final approval.
Governor’s Data Center Recruitment Grant
•Laramie County requested a $5 million grant from the Governor’s Data Center Recruitment Fund for the expansion of water and sewer infrastructure and site development in the North Range Business Park for the recruitment of a large data center. The business is referred to as “Project Nephogram.” (Recommended to the governor in full)