By McKenzie Romero | Editor
When news broke that PacifiCorp — the parent company of Utah’s largest utility provider, Rocky Mountain Power — was looking to sell its assets in Washington state, Republicans on Utah’s Capitol Hill cheered.
They had called for a split from the renewable energy enthusiasts in blue states served by the company, saying it drove up costs for customers in fossil fuel forward states like Utah. But consumer watchdogs in the Beehive State are raising red flags about the sale, saying it might not be in the state’s long-term financial interest.
In today’s Dispatch we spotlight what the power company’s Washington sale could mean for Utah, a debate for candidates in the state’s new Democrat-heavy 1st Congressional District, and why doctor/congressman Mike Kennedy’s prescription for America doesn’t include a surgeon general.
“We want a divorce from the three states that don’t look like Utah. … This is the first step forward, as I’ve had the conversations to talk with Rocky Mountain Power, they’re excited. This will be a great benefit to the citizens of the state, helping keep lower prices here in the state of Utah.” — Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz in response to news that PacifiCorp wanted to sell its Washington service area.
By Alixel Cabrera
Dick Garlish, president of Rocky Mountain Power, told the Utah Public Service Commission — which must sign off on the plan to sell PacifiCorp’s Washington service area — the deal would be positive for the state because PacifiCorp is expected to provide a $68.9 million rate credit to customers in Utah over three years, in addition to other benefits.
But Utah’s Office of Consumer Services reported PacifiCorp is only offering a short-term view of the sale’s long-term impact, and flaws in the company’s analysis led to an “overestimation of the benefits to Utah,” while Gem, an affiliate of Portland General Electric Company, is getting the resources at a cost below market value.
Candidates for Utah’s 1st Congressional District Republican Riley Owen, left, and Democrat Ben McAdams participate in a debate at Salt Lake Community College, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (Pool photo by Erin Hooley/Deseret News)
By Alixel Cabrera
In the race for Utah’s 1st Congressional District, two candidates from opposing political parties found themselves meeting in the middle, a shift from the scenes playing out in campaigns across the country seeking a spot in a profoundly divided U.S. Congress.
In a debate, the two candidates discussed some of the hottest policy issues of the year with Republican Riley Owen, a naval officer and former White House staffer, often splitting from the Trump administration’s agenda. Ben McAdams, the last Utah Democrat to serve in Congress, has also split from his caucus in the past. However, he has little faith in a Republican candidate doing the same.
Utah Rep. Mike Kennedy is pictured at a speaking event hosted by the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah and the Sutherland Institute of Politics on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (Annie Knox/Utah News Dispatch)
By Annie Knox
In a wide-ranging forum, Utah Rep. Mike Kennedy, who is a physician, said he sees promise for enhanced use of artificial intelligence in medicine and believes states, not the federal government, should have broad authority over matters of public health and disease control.
In response to a student’s question regarding the post of U.S. Surgeon General that has been unfilled for nearly two years, Kennedy said, “I’m warning you right now, that position shouldn’t be there. We don’t need a chief doctor. If anybody understands this, you young folks should understand this.”
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