The Utah Committee of Consumer Services and two groups representing large industrial electricity users have asked the PSC to dismiss the company's latest request, which asks for permission to charge its customers another $84.5 million a year. That could result in residential customers paying around $3.50 more a month.

The committee, which serves as the voice for residential customers and small business owners, contends that Rocky Mountain Power's latest request raises many of the same issues, looks at much of the same time frame, and addresses many of the same costs that still are being weighed in the earlier case filed in December.

Responding to the company's request filed late last year, the PSC earlier this month gave the company permission to ratchet up the amount it charges its customers by $33.4 million, or 2.4 percent.

The PSC still has to determine how that increase will be divided among the various classes of business and residential customers. If the 2.4 percent increase is allowed to stand for the company's residential customer, a typical bills would go up by around $1.33 a month.

"It isn't surprising" that they are requesting the dismissal, Rocky Mountain Power spokesman Dave Eskelsen said, acknowledging the utility knew there were concerns when it filed for the second rate case. "We'll answer their concerns in due course, and the PSC eventually will decide whether we move forward."

steve@sltrib.com