The One Big Beautiful Bill, passed in July, reduced the royalty rate for federal oil and gas from 16.67% to 12.5%. If all 32 parcels in this month’s sale are fully developed, then the lesser royalty rate will reap an estimated $22 million less than under the previous royalty rate, according to calculations by Taxpayers for Common Sense. That would put Wyoming’s loss at $11 million.

Advocacy groups have also noted that a similar royalty rate reduction for federal coal will cost Wyoming about $50 million annually — a revenue loss that many state lawmakers want to rectify.

“Competitive, market-rate royalty rates do not affect industry interest or production decisions — lowering rates only shortchanges taxpayers by reducing future royalty revenue,” Taxpayers for Common Sense wrote.