Wyoming to investigate claims Rocky Mountain Power dodges industry requests for more electricity

Wyoming is set to investigate allegations that Rocky Mountain Power is not accommodating requests from both current and potential customers for large amounts of new electrical power. According to the Wyoming Public Service Commission, the utility has been asked to provide relevant information and take other actions as required for the public interest.

The investigation order is still being finalized by the commission. Rocky Mountain Power's president, Dick Garlish, stated that the utility takes its responsibilities as a regulated monopoly seriously and cares about its customers, both existing and future. He also mentioned that the company is not going to do any deal for any reason without considering the protection of existing customers.

Commission Deputy Chairman Chris Petrie stated that the investigation is not a condemnation of Rocky Mountain Power, but a way to ensure safe, adequate, and reliable service at just and reasonable rates throughout the service territory. The move to investigate Rocky Mountain Power comes amid increasing demand for electricity in Wyoming and nationwide, driven primarily by the buildout of artificial intelligence computing.

Data center proposals from two developers alone would require more than double the state's existing electrical generation capacity. Rocky Mountain Power has studied 83 requests for additional power during the past decade and served 24 of them, amounting to 258 megawatts. However, some industry representatives have criticized the utility for allegedly concluding that it could take up to seven years to provide a significant boost in power to certain industries, which they consider unreasonable.