Public speakers urge Utah PSC to reject Rocky Mountain Power’s 2025 IRP, citing health, cost and transparency concerns

Salt Lake City — Members of the public urged the Utah Public Service Commission on Thursday to reject Rocky Mountain Power’s 2025 integrated resource plan, saying the proposal keeps coal plants in service too long, understates health and climate costs, and relies on confidential assumptions that prevent public scrutiny.

Commissioner David Clark opened the hearing on docket 25O3522 and said written statements already filed in the docket are part of the record. The commission accepted in-person oral comments from roughly a dozen speakers; Chair Jerry Fenn was not present but will view the recorded proceeding, Clark said.

Why it matters: Commenters said the IRP’s choice to remove retirement dates for the Hunter and Huntington coal plants would lock ratepayers into higher fuel and pollution costs, risk public health in communities near coal operations, and forgo federal tax credits for timely renewable projects. Several speakers cited Rocky Mountain Power’s own modeling to say retiring Hunter by 2030 would be less costly for customers than the company’s chosen path.

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