Across the West, utilities and electricity customers are finding savings by shutting down old coal plants and replacing them with new renewable energy. All evidence shows that PacifiCorp, the parent company of Rocky Mountain Power, can also save money for Utahns by switching off coal plants.
However, PacifiCorp wants to extend the depreciation of their aging coal plants well beyond their life expectancy. Indefensibly, PacifiCorp refuses to disclose costs of this scheme to the public. Make no mistake; the heavy burden of these costs will fall on the shoulders of Utah ratepayers.
Sierra Club recently commissioned a third-party study (conducted by Utah-based Energy Strategies) from previously released data about PacifiCorp’s entire coal fleet.