However, Utah regulators believe PacifiCorp is not moving fast enough in building new power plants. The Utah Division of Public Utilities said in a brief that further delays "could leave Utah ratepayers exposed to the volatility of the market through short-term purchases or gas-fired generation."

Connie White, division director, said conservation alone will not be enough to meet Utah's electricity demand.

"We certainly agree that conservation is a very important piece. It needs to be a bigger piece," White said. "We just don't think it will get us all the way there."

Dave Eskelsen, a spokesman for Rocky Mountain Power, said the utility is still trying to work on a new bidding draft that both Oregon and Utah can support.

"Our intent right now is to take the suggestions that the Utah commission has suggested and file another draft in mid-February," Eskelsen said. "It's not absolutely required that there be agreement on the draft (request for proposal). We're still hopeful that we can get an RFP that policymakers can support."

But Jenks said the utility's effort to reach a consensus between Oregon and Utah is news to him.

"What PacifiCorp told us is they were going to do an RFP that was agreeable to Utah and say the hell with Oregon," Jenks said.

The conflict could result in Rocky Mountain Power customers taking on 100 percent of the costs of any future coal plant built, which can amount to more than $1 billion, according to Barber.

"This is just like we're back in the days of Utah Power & Light," Barber said. "Utah Power & Light had to make similar decisions back in the '60s and early '70s about building its own resources. This could lead to the divorce of Utah and Oregon."

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E-mail: danderton@desnews.com