Basin Electric Power Cooperative's Dry Fork Station north of Gillette was one of the last coal-fired power plants built in the U.S., commencing operations in 2011. The $1.35 billion power plant has a generating capacity of 385 megawatts. (Dustin Bleizeffer). Wyoming lawmakers are considering a suite of bills to help keep aging coal-fired power plants in the state in operation, including one measure that would allow the state to possibly take over ownership of a coal plant. House Bill 259 – Public utilities-regulatory amendments would allow “the Wyoming Energy Authority, any other instrumentality of the state, a cooperative electric utility or a municipal utility” to purchase a coal-fired power plant otherwise slated for early retirement.