The Short Version
The Horse Creek Project is a small, resident-led effort to inform our neighbors, understand what is being planned, and build enough community involvement to have a meaningful voice before major decisions are made.
Why It Matters
Black Hills Energy has professional planners, engineers, attorneys and consultants working on this project. Right now, our neighborhood has a handful of concerned residents trying to catch up.
We do not need everyone to become an expert. We need enough people paying attention, asking questions and helping where they can that our community can no longer be overlooked.
What We Know So Far
We built HorseCreekProject.org to give residents one place to understand the project, review documents and organize efforts.
Residents have contacted County and state officials, submitted records requests and spoken publicly about the project.
We personally raised the issue at the Rocking Star Ranch HOA annual meeting.
A small group of residents is personally funding an independent hydrogeologic study to better understand the groundwater beneath our neighborhood before decisions about the plant are finalized.
We have created preliminary maps and gathered technical studies to better understand possible impacts involving water, noise, lighting, views and property values.
We are developing a simple Get Involved checklist so anyone who wants to help will have specific things they can do.
An adjacent property owner has told us that Black Hills Energy has already held two meetings about the project that he attended. We were previously aware of only one. This reinforces our concern that many nearby residents are still not being included in the conversation.
What We Still Need to Know
How many nearby residents actually know about the project?
How many want to become involved?
What other neighborhoods and HOAs are willing to work together?
Who has skills or experience that could help?
What additional independent studies should residents fund?
Will we need dedicated legal representation?
When will the formal permitting and public-comment processes begin?
Most importantly, how much can an organized community influence the project before the major decisions are already made?
What We’re Doing Next
Reach the People Who Still Don’t Know
We are preparing mailers for homes within approximately five miles of the proposed project. The website cannot help people who do not know it exists, and social media will never reach everyone.
Bring Neighbors Together
The mailer will invite nearby residents to an in-person community meeting (Mid September 2026?) where we can share what we know, hear concerns, identify new information and decide what our next steps should be together.
Build a Larger Public Voice
We plan to use that meeting to organize a petition opposing the project and demonstrate that concern extends well beyond a few homeowners. A meaningful number of signatures can help us approach elected officials, regulators, local news organizations and Black Hills Energy with a much stronger voice.
Find the People Who Can Help Lead
We know there are people living around Horse Creek with experience we desperately need—law, engineering, water, government, construction, communications, fundraising, organization and countless other skills.
We hope the community meeting helps us find people willing to take ownership of pieces of this effort rather than leaving everything to a handful of residents.
Build an Organization if We Need One
We have not created a formal organization with officers, a treasurer or a board. Right now, the priority is reaching people.
After the community meeting, if there is enough interest, we may create a more formal resident organization capable of coordinating volunteers, raising funds, hiring experts and working with other neighborhoods.
Key Documents
Horse Creek / Black Hills Energy — HOA Briefing and Action Roadmap — Summarizes the early resident response and recommended next steps.
Resident Outreach Template Shared with HOA Management — June 2026 — Documents the beginning of organized outreach.
Preliminary Horse Creek Acoustic Impact & Weather Scenario Map — A community screening tool for future noise questions.
Preliminary Horse Creek Power Plant Viewshed Analysis — A community screening tool for visual questions.
Cowboy State Daily: Rural Cheyenne Residents Raise Concerns Over Proposed Horse Creek Gas Plant — Documents the first neighborhood meeting and public concerns.