Black Hills Energy, a utility company that operates across eight states, is seeking permission to significantly raise electricity rates for its 2,600 customers in northeast Wyoming.
The move is drawing major pushback from residents who say they cannot handle another jump in the cost of the basic necessity. Under the proposal, average monthly electric bills would climb by 32% if regulators sign off (representing roughly $32).
Here's what to know
According to WyoFile, Black Hills Energy wants the Wyoming Public Service Commission to authorize a $5.1 million yearly increase in base rates for customers in the Upton and Newcastle area.
The utility says it has not sought a base-rate increase there since 2014.
In WyoFile's account, the company tied the request to more expensive operations at coal plants, higher payroll costs, continued work on the grid, and investments in equipment such as power lines, substations, as well as new gas plants and wind farms.
At a public comment hearing in Newcastle, Black Hills Corporation vice president of South Dakota and Wyoming Utilities Wes Ashton said he recognizes that the proposal could be hard for customers to absorb.
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"This is something that utilities have wrestled with," Ashton said at the hearing, adding, "This is something that I have wrestled with, as far as the affordability nature of what's going on with customers. But we did continually invest to keep our system safe, to keep our system reliable."
More background
The Wyoming Office of Consumer Advocate has asked regulators not to approve the full amount. Instead of Black Hills Energy's requested $5.1 million increase, the office has recommended something closer to $3.6 million, per WyoFile.
It is also challenging the company's effort to make the increase retroactive to May 1. In written testimony cited by WyoFile, the office argued that doing so would "skew calculations and trends by misaligning revenues [and] expenses" and said the new rate should take effect February 1, 2027.
The Public Service Commission is scheduled to hold a full hearing on October 7 and 8.
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