YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Tallgrass, an energy infrastructure company backed by Blackstone, is putting $105 million into a new conservation and stewardship fund at Yellowstone National Park, the largest single private gift in National Park Service history.
See how the money will be broken up here:
The money will support conservation and research, park infrastructure and visitor access, including more opportunities for Wyoming students and families.
Of that total, $35 million is planned for a new visitor education center at Norris Geyser Basin.
Lisa Diekmann leads Yellowstone Forever, the park's official nonprofit partner.
"Yellowstone is on most people's bucket list, and what makes this gift so special is it will ensure that Yellowstone remains accessible and meaningful and protected far into the future," Diekmann said.
Steven Davidson, senior vice president of government and public affairs at Tallgrass, said the park's regional significance drove the decision.
"Very few places offer what Yellowstone does. It also has this really outsized impact on three different states' economies," Davidson said.
But the size of the gift also puts a spotlight on the company behind it. Tallgrass operates more than 10,000 miles of energy pipelines.
Near Cheyenne, the comapany is developing the power infrastructure for Project Jade, a massive AI data-center project that would use on-site natural-gas generation.
Davidson said the donation is not a reputational effort.
"From a reputational perspective, this isn't the initiative that we're gonna hang our hat on. ... I understand the critique ... but intent really matters," Davidson said.
Tallgrass says its business is evolving, including major investments in carbon capture and storage.
"We last month divested from oil, we've spent the past four years building the largest carbon capture and sequestration infrastructure in North America," Davidson said.
The National Park Service says the donation doesn't buy Tallgrass any control.
The park service will retain full authority over park management and the projects the money supports.
For Yellowstone Forever, Diekmann says the mission comes first.
"Being consistent with our mission is absolutely paramount. Whether it's thirty-five dollars, thirty-five million dollars, or one-hundred-and-five million dollars," Diekmann said.
More details about how the money will be distributed are expected in the coming weeks.
