If you’re a Rocky Mountain Power customer in Utah, there’s a little-known planning document that has a very big impact on your monthly electric bill. It’s called an Integrated Resource Plan, or IRP, and PacifiCorp (the parent company of Rocky Mountain Power) just released an update that could cost Utah customers up to $10 billion more than the utility’s previous energy plan would have.
Here’s what that means, why it matters, and what Utah Clean Energy is asking the utility to do differently.
What Is an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)?
The Integrated Resource Plan is a roadmap for how a utility plans to power the lives of its customers. This includes the combination of coal, gas, wind, solar, and other energy resources it will use to meet growing energy demand. As a regulated, monopoly utility, a central requirement is to select energy resources that provide customers with a “least-cost, least risk” energy supply.
The IRP is updated every two years, but with each plan, it typically looks 20 years ahead. In Utah’s case, the 2025 update backs us into a very concerning and costly corner.
What Changed in Rocky Mountain Power’s Latest Plan?
Rocky Mountain Power’s updated IRP includes zero new solar, wind, or geothermal resources for Utah customers, and limited battery storage. The only new generation proposed for Utah is gas, coming online in the mid-2030s, and a nuclear demonstration project in 2032. By comparison, the previous IRP included 1.4 GW of wind and solar, and 2 GW of battery storage.
Impact on Utahns
- Locks Utahns into more expensive energy resources.
- Increases dependence on volatile market purchases.
- Makes Utah more dependent on energy imports from other states that are currently making substantial investments in new clean energy resources, such as Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, California, and Oregon.
- Excludes Utah customers from all new clean energy development for the foreseeable future.
That shift comes with a significant price tag. According to Utah Clean Energy’s review of the IRP filing, the financial impact of the 2025 IRP update compared to the 2023 IRP includes:
- $4 Billion increase in costs due to increased reliance on polluting fossil fuel resources that are exposed to volatile fuel prices.
- $ 6 Billion in lost savings by failing to secure available tax-advantaged resources.
Each new investment in energy will ultimately be paid for by utility ratepayers. That means the decisions made today about what kind of energy to invest in will directly impact the monthly bills of Utah families and businesses.
The $10 Billion Question: Why No Renewable Energy?
Tax credits for renewable energy projects are expiring, but there remains a window for new projects to qualify. Utilizing expiring federal clean energy tax credits offers a powerful opportunity to bring online new solar, wind, and battery storage projects at record-low prices.
Despite skyrocketing energy demand, Rocky Mountain Power claimed in its IRP update that no renewable, tax-advantaged resources are needed to meet Utah’s energy demand. In contrast, Interwest Energy Alliance, a regional trade association representing renewable energy developers and manufacturers states,
“If Rocky Mountain Power initiated a request for proposal right away, it is very likely that selected projects could meet the tax-credit deadlines, and Utah ratepayers would benefit from the reduced costs” states Chris Leger, Staff Attorney at Interwest Energy Alliance.
By Comparison, the Colorado Energy Plan Will Save Billions
By comparison, a recent resource procurement process in Colorado focused on bringing clean energy projects to market in time to qualify for tax credits. That resulted in a rapid and competitive market response with bids totaling 41,900 MW of new clean energy resources, with most projects listing commercial online dates of 2029–2030.
The Colorado analysis estimates that Colorado customers will save approximately $4.97 billion through the procurement of tax-advantaged resources. The lesson is clear: when utilities ask for clean energy, the market responds and customers benefit.
“Utah has some of the best clean energy potential in the nation, with solar, wind, and geothermal resources ripe for near-term development,” states Dr. Logan Mitchell, Utah Clean Energy Climate Scientist and Energy Analyst. “Our utility should be putting those homegrown resources to work for our communities and economy.”
What Utah Clean Energy Is Asking For
Utah Clean Energy has filed a formal motion arguing the utility did not fully evaluate lower-cost options for its customers in the 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) update. We are calling on PacifiCorp to:
- Provide a more thorough analysis of tax-advantaged renewable and battery storage options
- Fully account for federal tax credits
- Consider shovel‑ready clean energy projects in Utah
“As more Utahns struggle with rising costs, our utility has a responsibility to pursue the most affordable energy options available. That did not happen in this IRP update,” states Dr. Mitchell.
The Bottom Line for Utah Families and Businesses
Energy plans may not make headlines, but they shape:
- Monthly power bills
- Long‑term energy costs
- Local jobs and investment
- Pollution and public health
The choices made today will affect Utahns for generations. The good news? There’s still time to course‑correct if Rocky Mountain Power is willing to take another look at the clean, affordable energy options right here at home.
We would like to clarify that Utah Clean Energy is not a solar company. We are a nonprofit organization that advocates for solar and other clean energy technologies, but we do not install or sell solar in any way.