Bad news seemed to pile up for towns in southwest Wyoming in the fall of 2019. Just as PacifiCorp outlined plans to shutter several coal-fired power units in the region, Halliburton laid off nearly 200 workers at its Rock Springs, Wyoming headquarters.

Like many rural communities across the West, the towns of Rock Springs, Green River, and Kemmerer face a major transition away from coal. At the same time, their populations grow older, making it difficult to keep and attract younger people.

I spoke with community leaders who want to both hold onto the region’s legacy industries while beginning to take actions to build a more diverse economy.

Read the story, Job loss and youth exodus: towns grapple with energy transition. (Photo courtesy of WyoFile.com and RJ Pieper)