Some 150,000 Rocky Mountain Power customers in Wyoming may see their monthly electric bills increase — again — pending approval of the company’s request for an extra annual $70.5 million.

The permanent addition to customers’ “base rate” charge represents an increase of about 8.8% and is necessary “to recover prudent investments and updated cost forecasts,” according to the company.

The utility filed its general rate hike request on Tuesday to the Wyoming Public Service Commission, citing some $4.5 billion in new capital projects across six states, higher operations and maintenance costs, inflationary pressures and a projected $10 million to create a “Wyoming wildfire liability self-insurance reserve fund.”

“Rising costs across the electric utility industry affect every energy provider,” Rocky Mountain Power President Dick Garlish said in a prepared statement Wednesday. “We work hard to manage the costs within our control, and our track record shows that Rocky Mountain Power remains among the lowest cost electric utilities in the nation.”

Rocky Mountain Power President Richard Garlish, foreground, and the utility’s former president Gary Hoogeveen, attend a hearing of the Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee Sept. 20, 2023 in Cheyenne. (Dustin Bleizeffer/WyoFile)

Excluding annual fuel cost adjustments, Wyoming regulators have allowed Rocky Mountain Power to increase its rates nearly 16% in recent years. A 5.5% hike hit monthly bills in 2024, and rates increased another 10.2% in 2025.

Pending approval, Rocky Mountain Power — a division of Warren Buffett’s northwest electric utility giant PacifiCorp — proposes to implement the increase in two phases: Imposing most of the increase ($68.3 million) in March 2027, then $2.2 million in April 2027 when the company expects to finalize the sale of PacifiCorp’s assets in Washington.

PacifiCorp recently dumped wind and solar energy from its future planning.

The request triggers a review by the Wyoming Public Service Commission, which typically includes a detailed vetting — including public comment and public hearings — as well as from groups that may challenge the company’s assertions rationalizing the increase.

The company has faced intense criticism in Wyoming for its rising customer costs. To soften the blow, Rocky Mountain Power also pointed to another Public Service Commission filing this week to refund Wyoming customers for lower-than-expected fuel costs in 2025. The annual fuel-cost adjustment — which would amount to a one-year 4.2% rebate, or about a $4.49 monthly bill reduction — would be credited, if approved, on monthly bills beginning in July.

The company also noted its recent move to join the new Western Energy Imbalance Market — a network of regional utilities to orchestrate power supplies with power demand to achieve savings via daily power trades. The program will help Rocky Mountain Power “further improve how energy resources are scheduled and dispatched,” the company said.

Dustin Bleizeffer covers energy and climate at WyoFile. He has worked as a coal miner, an oilfield mechanic, and for more than 25 years as a statewide reporter and editor primarily covering the energy...

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  1. Reply

  2. I’m concerned about the repeated rate hikes, especially with the proposed 8.8% increase. This reminded me of my own struggles to manage my household expenses, where a higher eletric bill can really add up. The impact on low-income families will likely be significant, making it harder for them to make ends meet.

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  3. I don’t feel that this is a good idea. Rocky Mnt Power has had 2 hikes already. Gas prices are skyrocketing, food prices are climbing every day. People who are on fixed incomes cannot handle another price hike in electric. We won’t be able to by groceries or maybe our mortgages are rent. Please don’t make another hike in our electric.

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  4. Well when you plan on using the most expensive form of energy one should expect higher rates. Sounds like a terrible business strategy.

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  6. I have to ask if any part of this proposed RMPC rate hike is driven by the demand surge for powering data centers , perhaps to preemptively hedge that certainty ? Would anyone at Rocky Mountain admit that on the record if compelled ??

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  7. We need more folks donating to Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Renewable Energy program to help bring rates down. LOL.

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  8. Well, something off, the e-mail from RMP says just 2.8/3.9% yet article says a bit higher.
    Snippet from RMP Email “This spring, we will make two cost adjustment requests that together would result in a net bill impact of approximately 2.8% for Wyoming customers. For the average residential customer, the overall net bill impact would be a 3.9% increase.”
    -would you like to know more?

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  9. I think it would have been useful to share the actual rate being paid and the anticipated rate in cents/MWhr. And a comparison to the rest of the country and the rest of the state.

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  10. For all those folks who have decided to raise utility prices, you have confessed that 90% of that increase comes from coal and gas prices. Remember that the wind still blows and the sun shines at no cost.

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    1. With the suspension of previous air quality requirements on coal fired power plants and the decision of RMP to suspend efforts to utilize renewable energy sources we are now required to pay more for more environmental pollution. Thanks GOP! We will be sure to remember you in November!

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    2. Reply