Why It Matters
Rocky Mountain Power, Wyoming’s largest electric utility and a major provider in Idaho, has canceled plans for new wind and solar facilities through 2045. The decision affects energy customers across six Western states and marks a significant reversal in the renewable energy expansion that had been keeping electric rates lower than they otherwise would have been.
Idaho customers had seen rate increases totaling approximately 20 percent since 2020. Company officials previously testified that renewable energy investments had prevented those increases from climbing even higher.
What Happened
PacifiCorp, the parent company of Rocky Mountain Power, updated its long-range planning document in March 2026. The utility eliminated previously planned wind and solar additions in Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and California from 2027 through 2045.
The company cited the July 2025 repeal of major portions of the Inflation Reduction Act as the primary driver. The repeal, enacted through the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, eliminated tax benefits that had made renewable energy projects economically viable.
Federal tax credits had reduced the cost of wind and solar projects by approximately 30 percent. Under the new phase-out schedule, projects would need to begin construction within the next year to qualify for remaining benefits.
By the Numbers
PacifiCorp operates about 35 percent of Wyoming’s 3,700 megawatts of installed wind capacity. One megawatt provides electricity for approximately 750 homes.
The company’s remaining renewable pipeline includes roughly 1,200 megawatts of new solar in Utah, over 400 megawatts of new wind in Idaho, and 26 megawatts of new wind in Wyoming.
Without renewable energy investments, net power costs in Wyoming would have risen an additional $85.4 million, or 65 percent, according to 2023 testimony from former Rocky Mountain Power CEO Gary Hoogeveen.
The utility has delayed coal power plant retirement dates in recent years. Its updated planning outlook shows greenhouse gas emissions will now increase rather than continue declining.
Zoom Out
PacifiCorp serves customers in six Western states as part of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway energy conglomerate. The policy shift comes as the Trump administration rolls back fossil fuel regulations, which the utility says may make coal a more competitive fuel source.
Regulated utilities like PacifiCorp file new resource plans every two years and frequently update those plans between filings. While the company notes it is not obligated to follow the 20-year planning document, such plans create market signals that shape near-term investment decisions.
Smaller energy companies that build projects to meet the needs of larger utilities like PacifiCorp now face uncertainty about future demand for renewable energy in the region.
What’s Next
The few remaining renewable projects in PacifiCorp’s pipeline will proceed, with some facilities generating power specifically for customers in Oregon and Washington. Beyond those projects, the outlook for new wind development in Wyoming and neighboring states remains unclear.
The company will continue filing updated resource plans on its mandatory two-year cycle, which could restore renewable energy projects if economic conditions or federal policy changes again.
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