Rocky Mountain Power wants to hike rates again, this time by $123.5 million, or 14.7%

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1. Consider me a bit confused about the structuring.

   1. Some portion of the “$52.7 million to cover Wyoming’s share of the Gateway South and Gateway West interstate transmission lines connecting new wind energy in the state to markets in the southwest” (along with other things). Why should ratepayers pay for infrastructure designed to export power outside the ratepayer base? Will there be future revenue sharing (in essence) with profits from electricity sales via these wires reducing future utility bills?
   2. Other part of the $52.7m is “Wyoming’s share of the company’s Rock Creek and Rock Creek II wind energy projects, which span Albany and Carbon counties north of Laramie.” Assuming those electrons go to the ratepayer base (putting aside exports above), this should have long-term impact of reducing fuel charges (to zero) and reducing risks of sudden price spikes (there was “an [$86.4 million, one-time fuel cost adjustment](https://wyofile.com/rocky-mountain-power-wants-to-hike-electric-rates-again-this-time-by-116m/) that was added to ratepayer bills in July”).
   3. Not surprising is the (not using words, though later in the article “Increasingly hot and dry conditions have intensified wildfires across the West”) #climate change risk premium here: “Rocky Mountain Power’s wildfire liability insurance in Wyoming has risen 1,888% over the past five years, according to a press statement. The increases “are far beyond anything the company has experienced before,””