Why It Matters
About 150,000 Rocky Mountain Power customers across Wyoming are facing the prospect of yet another electric bill increase. The utility has filed for a rate hike that would add roughly 8.8% to base charges — on top of substantial increases already absorbed in recent years.
What Happened
Rocky Mountain Power, a division of Warren Buffett’s PacifiCorp utility network, filed a general rate increase request with the Wyoming Public Service Commission seeking an additional $70.5 million in annual revenue. The company cited $4.5 billion in new capital projects spread across six states, rising operations and maintenance costs, inflationary pressures, and a proposed $10 million wildfire liability self-insurance reserve for Wyoming.
Company President Dick Garlish defended the request in a prepared statement, saying, “Rising costs across the electric utility industry affect every energy provider,” and adding that Rocky Mountain Power “remains among the lowest cost electric utilities in the nation.”
If approved, the increase would be rolled out in two phases: a $68.3 million portion taking effect in March 2027, followed by an additional $2.2 million in April 2027, timed to coincide with the expected completion of a sale of PacifiCorp assets in Washington state.
By the Numbers
- $70.5 million — total annual increase requested from Wyoming customers
- 8.8% — proposed increase to base rate charges
- 150,000 — Rocky Mountain Power customers in Wyoming affected
- 5.5% — rate increase imposed in 2024
- 10.2% — rate increase imposed in 2025
- ~16% — cumulative base rate increases Wyoming regulators have approved in recent years, excluding fuel adjustments
Zoom Out
The filing is the latest in a string of rate increases hitting Wyoming households and businesses. Excluding fuel cost adjustments, Rocky Mountain Power customers have already seen base rates climb close to 16% over recent years through successive regulatory approvals. The new request suggests that upward pressure on electricity costs is not letting up anytime soon.
The pattern mirrors broader trends across the Mountain West, where utilities are passing significant infrastructure and operational cost increases on to ratepayers. Wyoming communities have already begun pushing for energy developers to pay upfront for the public service costs their projects generate, reflecting growing scrutiny of how energy investment costs are distributed.
Separately, PacifiCorp recently removed wind and solar projects from its future planning, a shift that could affect how the company structures its long-term investment profile and future rate requests. Federal approvals for new domestic energy infrastructure, including a major new oil pipeline into Wyoming, signal continued emphasis on conventional energy development in the region.
What’s Next
The rate request now goes before the Wyoming Public Service Commission, which will evaluate whether the proposed increases are justified. Hearings and a public comment process are standard steps before regulators issue a final ruling. If approved on the company’s proposed timeline, most of the increase would take effect in early 2027.
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