Deal could affect RMP rate hike

CODY (WNE) — A pending settlement could affect the rate hike requested by Rocky Mountain Power.

That information came in response to AARP’s protest of RMP’s proposed 14.7% increase, as reported in the March 6 issue. The response came after deadlline.

There have been some developments in the current Wyoming general rate request of which AARP may not be aware, said David Eskelsen, company spokesman for Rocky Mountain Power and PacifiCorp.

There has been a settlement of the case proposed jointly by the company, the Wyoming Industrial Energy Users Association and the Wyoming Office of Consumer Advocate, he said. The commission scheduled hearings on March 11 and 12 to hear testimony from all three parties in support of the settlement. The commission will have to review and approve the settlement before it would take effect.

Rocky Mountain Power believes the settlement is in the public interest and will recommend to the commission that it be approved, Eskelsen said.

A copy of the proposed settlement is available on the PSC website. The following are the main points of the settlement for residential customers.

Residential bill monthly impact by usage:

700 kilowatt-hours monthly: 14.5% or a $14 increase to a typical bill of $97 (this is the average Wyoming residential usage)

1,000 kilowatt-hours monthly: 14.5% or a $19 increase to a typical bill of $130

Even with this increase, rates would still be below the national average of $177 for 1,000 kilowatt-hours monthly use, Eskelsen said. The basic residential customer charge would be $23 per month, an increase of $3.

The overall amount of the increase if the settlement is approved would be $85.5 million or 10.2%.

This story was published on March 10, 2025.