Sorry Wyoming, Your Electric Bill Is About To Go Up

Your electric bill is about to go up, due to a Wyoming carbon capture mandate.

Utilities and scientists have warned the state of Wyoming that this process is pointless and cost prohibitive.

First, there was the cost of compliance with state law.

That meant hiring engineers to analyze and collect bids from contractors. The cost of that, too, will be passed on to consumers.

The Wyoming Public Service Commission on Thursday approved a 0.3% “carbon capture compliance” surcharge for Rocky Mountain Power customers in the state. The new charge will generate an estimated $2 million in 2023, according to filings to the commission, and will be included in customers’ bills beginning in February. The commission may consider a similar request by Black Hills Energy — also subject to the state law. But so far that utility has not requested a carbon capture compliance rate hearing. (WYOFILE).

It turns out that building and operating a carbon capture system facility is too costly to justify, according to preliminary analyses by Rocky Mountain Power.

PacifiCorp and Black Hills Energy explain that it will cost $400 million to $1 billion to retrofit a single coal unit.

“The [Wyoming Office of Consumer Advocate] does not believe that the initial report and application submitted are sufficiently comprehensive or refined to reasonably estimate what the implementation of a low-carbon portfolio standard might mean in terms of ratepayer bill impacts at this time,” Wyoming Office of Consumer Advocate Administrator Anthony Ornelas told WyoFile.

Then there is the point of all of this.

If all coal plants on the planet were fitted in such a way it would still not capture enough CO2 to make a difference. (Climatologist Dr. Tim Ball).