Western States in Open Combat Over Coal, ‘Woke’ Renewables Push

Several Western states are facing off this spring over the future of their power production, an escalating war of words and—increasingly—litigation, stretching from America’s coal core to its aspiring clean energy coast.

Wyoming set aside $1.2 million in taxpayer money for the sole purpose of suing any state that divests from its coal. And in neighboring Montana, owners of the Colstrip coal-fired generating station are fighting over whether to double down on the massive plant or exit the coal game entirely, the preference—or mandate—of power companies in the Pacific Northwest.

“Affordable power generated in Colstrip helped build Seattle’s big tech ...