Utah's quiet tug-of-war over the future of electricity just got louder. Utah Clean Energy is asking state regulators to take another pass at Rocky Mountain Power's updated long-range plan, warning that the utility's 2025 Integrated Resource Plan could leave Utah customers on the hook for billions of dollars in extra costs over the planning horizon.
The advocacy group argues the revamped plan leans harder on gas and coal and does not fully factor in renewable projects that could still qualify for federal tax credits before they expire. Rocky Mountain Power, for its part, flatly rejects that take and says its modeling still lands on a balanced, least-risk portfolio with a hefty dose of wind and solar in its 20-year outlook.
In a formal motion and accompanying analysis, Utah Clean Energy estimates the updated plan is roughly $10 billion more expensive than last year's version, with about $6 billion tied to missing tax-advantaged renewable projects and around $4 billion attributed to greater reliance on gas and coal. The group laid out its findings in a May brief and motion to the commission, posted by Utah Clean Energy, and the agency docket shows the organization formally filed those documents and a motion to enforce earlier orders in the Utah Public Service Commission docket.
Rocky Mountain Power pushes back
In a written response, the utility told reporters the IRP "evaluates hundreds of variables and price scenarios to arrive at a preferred portfolio of resources" and that its goal is a "least-cost, least-risk" mix for customers. In utility speak, that is the sweet spot where bills are supposed to stay as low and predictable as possible.
Rocky Mountain Power also said much of the change in the 2025 update stems from federal tax credit revisions enacted last summer that reshaped the economics of new wind and solar projects. Those federal moves, the company said, limited what additional savings were realistically available, according to comments the utility provided to KUTV.
What's in the preferred portfolio
PacifiCorp's publicly posted 2025 IRP materials show the Utah preferred portfolio still leans heavily on new renewables. The plan includes 3,705 megawatts of wind, 2,477 megawatts of utility scale solar, and 354 megawatts of small scale solar. The company says it evaluated potential projects that might still qualify for remaining tax credits, but did not identify savings beyond those already reflected in the plan.
The IRP update and supporting workpapers spell out those totals along with the modeling assumptions behind them. The full package is available in PacifiCorp's IRP materials.
What comes next at the PSC
The Public Service Commission docket includes Rocky Mountain Power's corrected workpapers and its response to Utah Clean Energy's motion, as well as comments from intervenors such as the Sierra Club and Interwest Energy Alliance that urge closer scrutiny of the plan.
Commissioners and staff will review those filings along with any public comments to decide their next move. Options on the table include opening an investigatory docket, ordering additional modeling, or directing the company to run competitive procurements for new resources.
What this means for ratepayers
At the core of the fight is a fairly simple question with very expensive implications: Will Utah move quickly to lock in tax-advantaged renewable projects that advocates say could push long term bills down, or will Rocky Mountain Power's more cautious stance on shifting federal incentives and reliability concerns carry the day?
The commission's call for further review and any follow up requests for proposals will shape how much of Utah's next wave of power capacity comes from renewables versus fuel-fired plants, and who ultimately pays the tab over time.
For now, everyone from developers to consumer advocates is watching the docket for hints about whether Rocky Mountain Power will be told to revisit key assumptions or solicit bids that might capture remaining federal incentives. The commission's upcoming rulings will signal whether Utah leans back into aggressive renewable procurement or sticks with a more conservative, reliability focused course.
