Published January 11, 2021 On January 4th, the Minnesota House and Senate gaveled in a new year at the state Capitol. With COVID-19 and pressing state budget challenges to deal with, legislative districts that must soon be redrawn, and legislative control divided between the two parties, 2021 is unlikely to be a big year for…
Published December 29, 2020 As we enter the winter months, temperatures are starting to drop, and many households may be looking to portable space heaters to help stay warm in their homes. If this includes you, it is important to factor in the capability, costs, and efficiency of space heaters. This blog post will dig…
Published December 22, 2020 Last Thursday, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved an arrangement that will avoid a rate increase for Xcel Energy’s residential customers in 2021. This fall, Xcel filed a “rate case” — a request to increase their base rates by 20 percent — with the PUC. At the time of filing,…
Published December 7, 2020 This month, CUB and Minnesota Power released the findings of joint research evaluating how real customers’ electricity bills would change under four new rate designs that are under consideration. Over the past several years, Minnesota Power (“MP”) has engaged in a pilot program, stakeholder discussions, and regulatory processes to assess whether…
Published December 3, 2020 On a Saturday in mid-February of this year, CUB’s staff and board of directors gathered for the day. We shared a meal, reflected on the organization’s growth, and discussed how to best recalibrate our focus in the years to come. That retreat resulted in the updated strategic plan that you see…
Published December 2, 2020 In a written order issued on November 20, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission adopted CUB’s proposed standards for access to energy data. The standards will allow groups like CUB to find ways to reduce costs, reduce emissions, and make rates more fair. In August 2019, CUB filed a petition with the…
Published December 1, 2020 Xcel Energy has proposed a program to forgive unpaid utility bills of Minnesota customers who are among the farthest past-due on their bills. The proposal, initially filed as a part of Xcel’s proposals for economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, would forgive 75 percent of the unpaid bills for customers who…
Published November 30, 2020 Please help CUB welcome the newest members of our board of directors. We are grateful to Robert, Sandra, and Aimee for their commitment and very fortunate to have their leadership and experience as a part of CUB’s team. Robert Blake is the owner of Solar Bear, a solar installation company located…
Published November 9, 2020 Think of all the things in your home that run on electricity: Your fridge, stove, oven, washing machine, dryer, coffee maker, microwave, water heater, private water well, furnace fan, your heat, fans, air conditioning, internet service, cell phone charger, TV, gaming systems, computer, printer, lights, and more. Now, think about what…
Published November 5, 2020 On November 1, Xcel launched its two-year Flex Pricing Pilot program in parts of south Minneapolis and Eden Prairie and parts of surrounding communities. Approximately 10,000 customers will take part in the pilot. This program, previously described as a time-of-use rate pilot, was originally scheduled to start on April 1, 2020,…
