As energy demand surges and fossil fuel costs rise, this plan locks Utahns into costly, outdated energy resources
Salt Lake City (March 31, 2026) — PacifiCorp (Rocky Mountain Power’s parent company) has released its final update to its 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for Utah. This is the utility’s roadmap for meeting electricity demand for its Utah customers in the “least-cost, least-risk” way. The updated IRP raises serious concerns about cost, risk, and missed opportunities for Utah customers, particularly as Utahns brace for increased electricity rates due in part to rising fossil fuel prices.
Key Takeaways
- Zero new solar, wind, or geothermal, and limited battery storage are planned for Utah customers over the next 20 years.
- The only new generation proposed for Utah is gas, coming online in the mid-2030s, and a nuclear demonstration project in 2032.
- More reliance on market purchases from other states and less local energy to meet demand. This is the opposite of the goals of Governor Cox’s Operation Gigawatt.
- Utah can expect increasing exposure to price volatility as the costs for fossil fuels continue to rise, especially as conflict in the Middle East causes fossil fuel price disruptions.
- The only new low-cost and reliable renewable resources built in PacifiCorp’s service territory are slated to serve customers in Washington and Oregon.
Most concerning is that the IRP overlooks some of the most significant cost ‑saving opportunities available today: new solar, wind, and battery storage projects in Utah. As recent analysis from Lazard shows, “On an unsubsidized $/MWh basis, renewable energy remains the most cost ‑competitive form of generation.”
Impacts 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.
Utah Clean Energy’s Response
“This energy plan backs Utah into a risky and costly corner,” said Utah Clean Energy’s Climate Scientist and Energy Analyst, Dr. Logan Mitchell. “At a time when electricity demand is surging, this plan ignores the most affordable, reliable, tax-advantaged clean energy solutions and commits Utahns to higher costs and greater uncertainty for decades.”
“Utah has some of the best clean energy potential in the nation, with solar, wind, and geothermal resources ready for development. Instead of putting those homegrown resources to work for our communities and economy, this plan lets a key opportunity slip away and exposes Utahns to an outdated, less reliable energy system with volatile energy costs,” said Mitchell.
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Media Contacts:
Logan Mitchell | Climate Scientist & Energy Analyst
801-871-5548 | logan@utahcleanenergy.org
Brandy Smith | Communications Director
801.953.9985 (m) | brandy@utahcleanenergy.org
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.