Published April 12, 2021 It is officially spring in Minnesota and therefore a wide mix of weather is in the forecast. One day you’ll have the heat on; the next day, the windows are open. On really warm days, you might even consider turning on the air conditioner. Here are some tips to manage your…
Published April 6, 2021 Back in December 2020, I wrote a blog about a program Xcel proposed to partially forgive unpaid utility bills of Minnesota customers who are among the farthest past-due on their bills. The “Payment Plan Credit Proposal” was one of several proposals Xcel made in the “Economic Recovery docket,” which the Public…
Published April 5, 2021 CenterPoint Energy has asked Minnesota regulators for permission to begin installing smart meters to serve its residential natural gas customers. However, CenterPoint provided very little justification for charging customers the hefty price of these advanced meters and has not demonstrated that the value to customers will be worth the expense. For…
Published April 5, 2021 Back in January, I wrote a blog about Minnesota Power’s efforts to take a procedural step towards recovering revenue losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a nutshell, the Company sought the Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) permission to calculate the amount of revenue it lost when two of its large industrial…
Published April 2, 2021 Two weeks ago, I wrote about proposed legislation to help consumers weather a dramatic spike in the price of natural gas that occurred in February. The issue is moving forward in both the legislative and regulatory arenas, so I am back with an update. The severe cold weather that hit Texas…
Published April 1, 2021 There are more and more tangible ways for consumers to reduce the environmental impact of their household energy usage. On top of maximizing energy efficiency, households also have many options when it comes to using renewable energy resources. Not all households may be able to install rooftop solar panels or subscribe…
Published March 16, 2021 This week, the committees responsible for energy in the Minnesota House and Senate will hear identical bills aimed at addressing the severe spike in the price of natural gas that affected Minnesota gas utilities in February. The severe cold weather in Texas and the Midwest last month caused the price of…
Published March 8, 2021 2020 was a challenging year (understatement). All of us have been affected, in some way, by COVID-19 and measures taken to slow its spread. That said, Minnesota’s COVID-19 Response data shows that the pandemic has been disproportionately harmful to certain demographic groups. Throughout the pandemic, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color…
Published February 24, 2021 Tomorrow, the Senate energy committee will hear bills that would roll back opportunities for Minnesotans – especially in Greater Minnesota – to conserve energy and save money on their utility bills. CUB is asking people in key senate districts to contact their senators and ask them to oppose these bills (more…
Published February 22, 2021. Updated March 1 to include Senate File number. A bill being advanced by CUB and the Energy CENTS Coalition at the state legislature would expand the opportunity for public representation at the Public Utilities Commission. The bill updates a Minnesota law called “intervenor compensation,” which allows people and nonprofits to have…
