Frequently Asked Questions.

We're here to answer your questions about the URC program.

The Utah Renewable Communities Program is currently being reviewed by the Utah Public Service Commission. We anticipate the Commission will decide whether to approve, decline, or modify the program in early 2026. Key program elements, including costs and opt out dates won’t be known until the Commission makes its decision.

Utah Renewable Communities anticipates a small rate increase, but the exact amount will be determined through the Public Service Commission process. The initial program rate acceptable to URC would add no more than $3 to $4 per month for the average residential bill. It’s important to the Agency that the program remains affordable to succeed. Rates will adjust annually, and clear information will be shared here as well as on customer bills.

Rocky Mountain Power customers in participating communities will receive mailed notices about the launch of the URC program before the new clean energy line item appears on your bill. This won’t happen until late 2026 after previous steps have occurred, including your community adopting the participation ordinance. Customers will have several billing cycles during which to opt out for free. After that, there will be a $30 termination fee for customers who are not participating in Rocky Mountain Power’s low-income assistance program. The final opt-out details will be determined by the Public Service Commission and we will provide further information here when available.

To support low-income households, the program proposes automatic bill credits for customers already receiving monthly assistance through Rocky Mountain Power to help offset any additional program cost. Additionally, the URC Board wants to waive termination fees for qualifying low-income customers who choose to opt-out of the program after the initial opt-out window closes.

Learn More about URC’s energy affordability offerings (link to Energy Affordability Webpage)

The URC Program will seek to acquire renewable resources gradually to maintain a balance between new program resources and the number of participating customers. By law, the program rate may be adjusted once per year.
If, after all the resources are built, there is a major drop in participation, the URC Agency will seek to stabilize rates using an envisioned financial backstop reserve fund and other mechanisms. Ultimately, customers may exit the program if the charge becomes too high.

The Utah Renewable Communities Program will be designed to drive large-scale renewable energy development that is accessible to nearly all Rocky Mountain Power customers.

Unlike Blue Sky (which is a certificate-based program), this Program will deliver electricity to the Rocky Mountain Power system.

Unlike a lot of rooftop solar arrangements, this Program will not require a large upfront investment or customer financing.

And unlike Subscriber Solar, this Program will not be capped at 20 Megawatts and can scale up to match customer interest.

This depends on which net metering arrangement a person has. The Community Clean Energy Act states “A residential customer that is participating in the net metering program under Title 54, Chapter 15, Net Metering of Electricity, may not be a participating customer under this part.” This means people who have a Schedule 135 arrangement cannot participate in the Utah Renewable Communities Program. However, customers with more recent net metering arrangements–Schedule 136 and Schedule 137–are eligible to participate. Schedule 135 customers who want to join the Community Renewable Energy Program could consider joining Schedule 137 to gain eligibility; however, they should carefully consider whether such a transition makes financial sense and whether it helps accomplish their environmental goals.

Today, only extremely large electricity customers like universities, major companies, or municipal governments qualify to procure utility-scale renewable energy sources through special rate tariffs like Schedule 32 and Schedule 34. The Utah Renewable Communities Program seeks to extend a similar utility-scale renewable energy procurement option to all customers, large and small, within a participating community. The URC Agency will request proposals for new renewable resources, evaluate potential rate impacts, and vote on whether to acquire renewable energy resources. It began its first solicitation in 2025.