Amy Dominguez, amy.dominguez@sierraclub.org
Salt Lake City, UT – Today, in coordination with partners around the country, community members gathered at Rocky Mountain headquarters to protest the utility’s latest move to lock Utah into decades of costly, volatile fossil fuels – driving up energy bills while cleaner, more affordable renewables are overlooked. The demonstration comes after Rocky Mountain Power’s parent company, PacifiCorp’s, release of its 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which slashes renewable energy investments and delays the transition to lower-cost clean power. Instead, the IRP prioritizes expensive fossil fuels, ignoring cost-effective solutions that could ease economic burden and strengthen local economies.
At the event, speakers called out Rocky Mountain Power for playing games with Utahns’ energy future. In a Monopoly-style satirical presentation, “Mr. Monopoly” (representing billionaire Warren Buffett) exposed how PacifiCorp’s parent company, Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE), are stacking the deck against Utahns – keeping energy bills high while delaying investments in cleaner, more affordable renewables. Just a few weeks earlier, advocates held the People’s Hearing in response to the Utah Public Service Commission’s (PSC) refusal to hold a public hearing on the latest phase of the utility’s proposed rate hike.
In its 2025 IRP, the utility has opted to:
- Keep the Hunter and Huntington coal plants running indefinitely instead of transitioning to clean energy
- Invest in risky, unproven technologies like carbon capture and nuclear energy
- Severely limit clean energy investments in Utah, even though these resources would boost the state’s economy and lower power bills for customers
PacifiCorp’s decision to backtrack on renewables comes in sharp contrast to the findings of a newly released report Utah and Wyoming: Economic Opportunities in PacifiCorp’s Renewable Energy Transition. The report highlights how increased investment in renewables could generate thousands of long-term, high-paying jobs, strengthen local economies, and provide critical tax revenue for public services like schools and hospitals across Utah.
PacifiCorp’s IRP will now be reviewed by its regulators in Utah. While the timeline may vary, it is expected that regulatory review will occur through the remainder of 2025. The public can participate by submitting comments directly to the public service commission.
“Despite the clear benefits of renewable energy, PacifiCorp continues to resist cost-effective, forward-thinking energy solutions that would benefit both customers and communities,” said Sierra Club Senior Organizer, Luis Miranda. “We need a plan that prioritizes renewables so that we can create good jobs, strengthen local economies, and support workers in the transition to clean energy. Unfortunately, this isn’t what we’re seeing in the 2025 IRP.”
“PacifiCorp’s plan locks us into decades of expensive coal, rising bills, and financial risk, all while ignoring cleaner, more affordable alternatives,” said Utah Needs Clean Energy (UNCE) Volunteer, Alyssa Chamberlain. “But we don’t have to accept this. The Public Service Commission has the power to reject the rate hike and the 2025 IRP in favor of a plan that puts Utahns first. Investing in renewables would create good jobs, and lower energy costs. Billion-dollar corporations shouldn't gamble with our utility bills and economic future.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.