A new gas-fired power plant in Cheyenne, Wyo., is needed to replace three coal-fired plants that will be retired in 2014 to comply with new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions regulations, the Black Hills Pioneer reports.

The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission will review two requests - one for the new power plant and another for infrastructure improvements - over several months and then conduct formal public hearings in the case.

This request follows a 12.9 percent rate increase approved in 2010 to recover the cost to build a coal-fired plant in Gillette, Wyo.

Learn more about the proposed gas-fired power plant, including a video, at this Black Hills Power webpage.

Comment on the proposed rate increase and read the documents filed with the PUC in two case files, the infrastructure request here and the power plant request here.