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

OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: January 31, 2005 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * HILL HEATH A.   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) VP & Chief Accounting Officer (Last) (First) (Middle) 505 S. GILLETTE AVE. 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 03/11/2013 (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 03/11/2013(1)   A   1,916 A $ 0 5,211 D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
	Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.		SEC 1474 (9-02)

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

Employee Non-Qualified Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 17.5

03/11/2013

A

3,848

(2)

(3)

Common Stock

3,848

$ 0

3,848

D

Performance Units

(4)

03/11/2013

A

3,833

(4)

(4)

Common Stock

3,833

$ 0

3,833

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
HILL HEATH A. 505 S. GILLETTE AVE. GILLETTE, WY 82716			VP & Chief Accounting Officer

Signatures

/s/ Lisa Kish, attorney-in-fact for Heath A. Hill		03/13/2013
**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)	Each restricted stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of Cloud Peak Inc. common stock. 100% of the restricted stock units vest three years after the date of grant.
(2)	100% of the option vests three years after the date of grant.
(3)	Nonqualified options granted under Cloud Peak Energy Inc.'s 2009 Long Term Incentive Plan expire ten years after the date of grant.
(4)	Each performance right represents a contingent right to receive one share of Cloud Peak Energy Inc. common stock. The performance rights vest 3 years from the date of grant upon Cloud Peak Energy's achievement of Performance Goals, which are based upon Cloud Peak Energy's relative and absolute total shareholder return. These achievements may result in a payout range between 0% and 200% of the target. The number of performance rights shown in columns 5 and 7 is equal to the target number of performance rights that may be earned. There is no expiration date for performance rights.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.