Joy Greenwald, Townsquare Media
Joy Greenwald, Townsquare Media
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The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan will likely hit Cheyenne Light, Fuel & Power (CLFP) customers in the pocket, but just how hard remains to be seen.

"Anybody who uses electricity is going to feel the impact of this," said Joe Milczewski, Manager of State Government Affairs for Black Hills Corporation.

In an effort to address climate change, the EPA is asking states to reduce carbon emissions from existing coal-fired power plants by the year 2030.

Milczewski says the proposed rule could change how CLFP delivers reliable, affordable electricity to its customers.

"It hits Wyoming especially hard because 88% of the electricity generated in Wyoming comes from coal," said Milczewski. "I can tell you when you start making decisions on emissions rather than economics that costs are going to go up."

Milczewski says it's too early to know how much customers will be impacted by the ruling.

"Until the states come up with plans to implement these rules we won't know the cost," said Milczewski. "We are definitely concerned about it, but it's important for residential customers to know that this isn't something that's going to hit them in the pocket at Christmas time, this is something that's going to happen seven years down the road."

Milczewski says the utility is partnering with the governor and state regulators to try and come up with a plan that works for Wyoming.

"We basically have until September of 2022 to develop a plan to protect our customers as best we can along with the state," said Milczewski. "The governor has been a huge help in sort of carrying the message to the EPA that this rule just doesn't work, not in Wyoming and not anywhere else for that matter, but as a regulated utility we have an obligation to follow the law and follow all regulations and so if this is enacted fully then we will be obligated to comply with it."

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