WYOMING — Last week, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and Colorado Governor Jared Polis jointly announced the recipients of the inaugural grant program by the CO-WY Climate Resilience Engine (CO-WY Engine).

According to a press release from the CO-WY Engine, the partnership program between the two states supports “groundbreaking” climate resilience projects that safeguard communities and stimulate economic development across the region.

“Wyoming and Colorado may not be in alignment on many issues, but I will always support efforts within each of our states to benefit our citizens.” 

Governor Mark Gordon

“When Wyoming joined the engine, we were focused on identifying and addressing specific Wyoming issues, including the impacts of droughts and wildfires,” Governor Gordon said in the press release. “Wyoming and Colorado may not be in alignment on many issues, but I will always support efforts within each of our states to benefit our citizens.” 

The CO-WY Engine says it received nearly 50 proposals across two areas: R&D, which focuses on accelerating the commercialization of university-based projects, and Translation/Startups, which supports bringing early-stage commercial solutions to scale.

The winning projects address key issues that include water security, wildfire prediction and response, extreme weather modeling, soil carbon sequestration and methane emissions mitigation. Find a list of the projects receiving grants below:

  • Soil Carbon Capture Data & Analytics, led by Colorado State University
  • Methane Emissions Analysis, led by Colorado State University
  • Water Security/Extreme Weather Prediction, led by the University of Wyoming
  • Wildfire Risk and Prediction (1 of 2), led by the University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Wildfire Risk and Prediction (2 of 2), led by the Colorado School of Mines
  • Soil Carbon Capture Data & Analytics, led by High Plains Biochar (Wyoming)
  • Complex Earth Sensing/Soil Carbon Capture Data & Analytics, led by Page Technologies (Colorado)
  • Methane Emissions Analysis, led by Aquanta Vision Technologies Inc.    

Both Governors said they anticipate another round of grant awards in early 2025. 

River Stingray is a news reporter with a passion for wildlife, history and local lenses. She holds a Master's degree in environmental archaeology from the University of Cambridge and is also a published poet, dog mom and outdoor enthusiast.