Beneath the sagebrush and prairie of Wyoming runs a vast and largely invisible network of pipelines, the arteries that carry the state's oil and gas to markets across the country. Without them, the energy pulled from Wyoming's ground would have nowhere to go.

Pipelines are the unglamorous backbone of the energy industry. They move crude oil to refineries and natural gas to distant cities far more cheaply and safely than trucks or trains ever could. For a landlocked state producing more energy than it can possibly use itself, this infrastructure is what turns underground resources into revenue.

Building and expanding pipelines, however, is rarely straightforward. Projects must navigate a maze of permits, negotiations with landowners, and opposition from those concerned about spills, disruption, or the climate implications of expanding fossil fuel infrastructure. A single major pipeline can take years to approve and build, and some proposals die in the process.

The debate over pipelines has become a proxy for the larger argument over energy's future. Supporters see them as essential and safe; opponents see them as locking in decades of fossil fuel use. For Wyoming, the outcome matters enormously. The state's ability to sell its energy depends on the pipes that carry it, making this quiet network one of the most consequential features of its economy.