After a year of working with people across the Cowboy State, Governor Matt Mead has released an updated energy strategy for Wyoming.

The state was the first in the nation to develop a comprehensive energy strategy with the release of "Leading the Charge: Wyoming's Action Plan for Energy, Environment and Economy" in 2013.

"We initially had 45 initiatives," said Mead. "Of those, 28 initiatives are 100 percent complete or near complete."

"The idea with the new strategy is recognizing, even when we've put out the 2013 strategy, that it was going to be a living document and that as times change we would add to that list," Mead added.

The updated strategy features 11 new priorities, including a wind energy manufacturing initiative and an initiative that looks at advancing opportunities and technologies for carbon-based fuels.

"I hope whoever is next governor, that they continue this trend of trying to be proactive," said Mead. "But we can't just let energy development occur by happenstance. We should plan it so that we continue to have the balance between the energy sector and our very important environment."

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