March 22 is World Water Day. Its less well known than Earth Day, but very appropriate for Minnesota. Minnesotans love water in all its forms- in lakes, rivers, wetlands or as snow! We are surrounded by it and lucky to have it in abundance, especially compared to other parts of the U.S. and the world….
Were you aware that a significant portion of your energy costs come from the handful of hours each year that customers use the most energy? Everyone expects their lights to come on without fail no matter what time of day it is. This means utilities must build and maintain expensive power plants with the sole…
Last fall, Minnesota Power proposed to own half of a new 250 MW gas power plant in Superior, Wisconsin. Because the plant would cost Minnesota Power ratepayers approximately $350 million, it needs approval from the Public Utilities Commission to move forward. Experts have now submitted their initial testimony in the public review of the plant, and…
The new year has just started, and CUB has been busy. You can see our public events on our website, but there’s a lot more going on beyond what’s posted. We do quite a few a privately scheduled outreach events and are very active in various policy discussions in the state. Here’s a little insight…
On Tuesday, the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved a rate increase for Minnesota Power electric customers. The increase was much smaller than the utility had requested, and is less than the interim rate increase already applied to customers’ bills, so most or all households will see a small refund when the new rates go…
For the past year, CUB’s executive director, Annie Levenson-Falk, has served on the technical committee of the MN Solar Pathways project. This State of Minnesota initiative is evaluating strategies to achieve state’s goal of 10% solar energy by 2030, which will mean increasing the state’s solar generating capacity by as much as 24 times. Over…
Happy New Year everyone! CUB is ready for the new year and busy scheduling events for 2018. We already have a full January calendar (see upcoming public events here), and it’s never too early to talk with us about inviting us to your area. CUB’s energy experts are happy to join groups of 15 or…
Making your new year to-do list? Maybe building a budget? If you are a homeowner, there are likely quite a few things on your to do list. I’d guess there are a lot of demands on your household budget too: mortgage, insurance, property taxes, maintenance and inevitably some improvements needed or desired. Let’s talk improvements,…
When there is a new “smart” product or “igadget” out every other day, the important question to always be asking is: How will this new technology benefit me? When heating and cooling account for about half of the energy costs in your home, the benefits of an upgraded thermostat are clear. Traditional thermostats require you…
This year, I have represented CUB on a state task force to identify consumer protections that would be needed for a new kind of clean energy financing: Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, for residential properties. PACE allows property owners to make energy improvements by taking out loans that they repay through their property tax…
