David Madison
David Madison is an award-winning journalist and documentary producer based in Bozeman, Montana. He’s also reported for Wyoming PBS. He studied journalism at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and has worked at news outlets throughout Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and Montana.
Latest from David Madison

Wyoming's Oil Industry Showing Moderate Growth, According To Latest Projections
New oil industry data shows Powder River Basin wells breaking even at $60 per barrel as global market forces create challenges and opportunities. One analyst says if the price per barrel of oil doesn’t go up, it could cost jobs in Wyoming.
David MadisonJune 03, 2025

Wyoming Part of Massive Geothermal Reserve That Could Power 10% of America
A new U.S. Geological Survey study identifies Wyoming’s western border as part of a massive geothermal reserve. Geologists say it could be tapped to generate electricity equal to 10% of America’s current power supply.
David MadisonJune 03, 2025

Ranch Family Files Lawsuit to Block Wyoming Wind Lease, Citing Generational Legacy
Converse County rancher Mike Stephens has filed a lawsuit against the Wyoming Board of Land Commissioners. He says they failed to follow proper procedures in approving the controversial Pronghorn wind project.
David MadisonJune 02, 2025

Hummingbirds Return to Wyoming, Sucking Down Enough Sugar To Put A Human In A Coma
Hummingbird season is back across Wyoming, drawing out fans of the tiny species known for aerial acrobatics and pollination of flowers. To fuel their sky-high metabolic rate, they suck down about 80% of their body weight in nectar each day.
David MadisonJune 01, 2025

Cheyenne Companies Plan Biggest Magnesium Operation In North America
Two Cheyenne companies have their sights on building the largest magnesium operation in North America in order to supply the U.S. with the metal of choice for lightweight vehicles and aircraft. China and Russia control over 90% of the global supply of magnesium.
David MadisonJune 01, 2025

Why The World’s Best Kayakers Train On The Whitewater Of Montana’s Gallatin River
It’s highwater season on Montana’s Gallatin River, and a growing posse of kayakers are paddling its infamous House Rock section, training for even scarier whitewater. There’s a reason the world’s best kayakers train here.
David MadisonMay 31, 2025

Jury Takes 38 Minutes To Convict Montana Man Who Firebombed Neighbor With Truck
It took a jury 38 minutes to convict a Montana man who transformed his pickup into a firebomb on wheels. He drove it into his neighbor’s house in a deliberate attempt to kill.
David MadisonMay 30, 2025

Wyoming Leaders Hail Supreme Court Ruling Limiting Environmental Reviews
Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman was among those celebrating a Supreme Court ruling Thursday that limits the scope of environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects. “Environmentalists for years destroyed development in the U.S.,” she said.
David MadisonMay 29, 2025
Even Industry Insiders Find It Hard To Keep Up With Wyoming Nuclear Boom
The dizzying, supercollider pace of energy investment in Wyoming — especially nuclear — is bringing waves of new faces into the state. It’s happening so fast that industry insiders and trade associations find it hard to keep up.
David MadisonMay 29, 2025

Companies Say National Push Could Accelerate Need For Wyoming’s Rare Earth Minerals
Wyoming's rare earth mining companies are scaling up for what could be the biggest opportunity in decades with a growing demand for minerals that power everything from smartphones to fighter jets.
David MadisonMay 27, 2025

Federal Emergency Order Extends Life Of Power Plant That Burns Wyoming Coal
A U.S. Department of Energy emergency order aims to keep open a Michigan coal-fired power plant that primarily burns Wyoming coal. It counteracts a Michigan law that requires utilities in that state to phase out all coal-fired generation by 2030.
David MadisonMay 27, 2025

Trump’s Order To Cut Red Tape Could Help Put Wyoming Nuclear Projects In Fast Lane
President Donald Trump’s overhaul of U.S. energy policy and direction continues with his executive order aimed at cutting regulatory red tape for nuclear projects. That could help put planned Wyoming nuclear projects in the fast lane for approval.
David MadisonMay 26, 2025

Drinking Wyoming, Montana Edition: Bale of Hay - Montana's Oldest Bar Opened In 1863
On the first Friday night of the busy season stretching from Memorial Day to Labor Day, locals eagerly unearthed “you should have been there” stories. One patron recalled dropping acid up on Boot Hill, where Virginia City’s infamous embrace of 1860s vigilante justice is memorialized by the graves of hanging victims.
David MadisonMay 25, 2025

How A Face Transplant Gave A Newcastle Man A New Smile And Life
A Newcastle man got a new life when he became the first patient to get a face transplant at the Mayo Clinic in 2016. A new book out this week tells his story, which begins as a child in Wyoming and ends with literally looking at a new man in the mirror.
David MadisonMay 24, 2025

TerraPower Plant Will Have More Nuclear Cops Than The Local Sheriff’s Office
TerraPower experts are working with Wyoming legislators to create a special security force to protect the company's new nuclear power plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The force of nuclear cops will outnumber the local Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
David MadisonMay 23, 2025

Will Massive Oil And Gas Reserves Mean A New ‘Bakken Boom’ For Southwest Wyoming?
Massive oil and gas reserves identified across southwest Wyoming are being called out this week by federal officials as “substantial.” It has local industry watchers wondering if that could mean a new “Bakken boom” in the region.
David MadisonMay 22, 2025

Pumping CO2 Into Wells Helps With Recovery But Wyoming Energy Leaders Say Cost Is High
Wyoming lawmakers on the Joint Minerals Committee heard testimony Wednesday on how pressurizing oil wells with carbon dioxide pushes out what oil remains, but paying for the infrastructure remains a financial challenge for operators.
David MadisonMay 21, 2025

Campbell, Johnson And Sheridan Counties Seek to Map Coal Seam Fire Threat
There are likely hundreds of smoldering coal seams in northeastern Wyoming and local fire officials are working on a plan to map them from the air as they all have the potential to start wildfires. It's estimated that some of the fires began as far back as 1859 (during the Buchanan administration).
David MadisonMay 21, 2025

Barrasso Introduces Bill To Force World Bank To Finance Fossil Fuel Projects
Sen. John Barrasso has introduced legislation that would “force the hand” of the World Bank to fund energy projects that comprise “traditional sources of energy,” including fossil fuels.
David MadisonMay 19, 2025

Judge Blocks Firings From Program That Supports Coal Miners With Black Lung
When the federal government tried to fire a team protecting coal miners from Wyoming to West Virginia from black lung disease, a miner filed a lawsuit. Last week, a federal judge ordered the restoration of a program that screens miners for the disease.
David MadisonMay 19, 2025

Why So Many Ultra-Expensive Supercars Have Montana License Plates
A $3 million Ferrari or $4 million Bugatti hypercar on the road turns heads as people scramble to take photos. Chances are good it will have a Montana license plate. The state’s tax laws make it a haven for the super-rich to register their supercars.
David MadisonMay 17, 2025
