Rocky Mountain Power is pitching historic rate hike: Here's what it could mean for Wyoming consumers - Wyoming Tribune
Rocky Mountain Power is pitching historic rate hike: Here’s what it could mean for Wyoming consumers | News | wyomingnews.com
CASPER — About a dozen people spoke at a Rock Springs meeting earlier this month about a historic rate hike proposal brought by Rocky Mountain Power — Wyoming’s largest electricity provider. Though more than 70% of Rocky Mountain Power’s customer base consists of industrial users, most of the people who spoke at the public hearing were typical residential customers and community members who fear the impact these cost increases could have on their lives.
Rock Springs Mayor Max Nicholson said the rate increases could threaten lives; those who can’t afford to pay their electricity bills would be vulnerable to severe weather, which could result in “people being hospitalized and dying from the heat.”
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Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: hydropower
Hydropower — electricity generated by turbines capturing energy from moving water — was for many years the primary contributor of renewable energy to the U.S. electricity grid. Its growth was rapid into the 1970s, and since then has offered a stable supply of power, while a declining share of all generation. For many years, hydropower was seen as clean energy and an unalloyed good, but a greater understanding of the impact of dams on ecosystems and wildlife has led to the removal of some dams. As of 2019, hydropower trails wind as a renewable source of power generation.