FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Martin Cary W   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol CLOUD PEAK ENERGY INC. [CLD] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Sr. VP Human Resources (Last) (First) (Middle) 505 S. GILLETTE AVE. 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 03/14/2017 (Street) GILLETTE, WY 82716 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 03/14/2017   F   954 (1) D $ 3.8 29,868 (4) D   Common Stock 03/14/2017   M   3,558 (2) A $ 3.8 33,426 (4) D   Common Stock 03/14/2017   F   974 (3) D $ 3.8 32,452 (4) D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Performance Units

(2)

03/14/2017

M

6,976

(2)

(2)

Common Stock

6,976

$ 0

0

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Martin Cary W 505 S. GILLETTE AVE. GILLETTE, WY 82716			Sr. VP Human Resources

Signatures

/s/ Bryan J. Pechersky, attorney-in-fact for Cary W. Martin		03/16/2017
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Reflects the number of shares of common stock withheld by the issuer in satisfaction of the Reporting Person's tax withholding obligation upon the vesting of restricted stock units.
(2)	Each performance unit represented a contingent right to receive the value of one share of Cloud Peak Energy Inc. common stock, which award was originally reported on a form 4 filed on 3/18/2014. The performance units vested 3 years from the date of grant (which was 3/14/2014) upon Cloud Peak Energy's achievement of performance goals, which were based upon Cloud Peak Energy's relative and absolute total shareholder return. These achievements resulted in a payout of 51% of the target, which target number was originally reported on the Form 4 filed on 3/18/2014.
(3)	Reflects the number of shares of common stock withheld by the Issuer in satisfaction of the Reporting Person's tax withholding obligation upon the vesting of performance units.
(4)	This total does not include restricted stock units granted to the Reporting Person in 2015, 2016 or 2017 as vested restricted stock units may be paid in shares, cash or a combination of shares and cash, in the discretion of the Compensation Committee.

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