Published September 29, 2022 There’s nothing quite like fall in Minnesota. The fall colors and cooler temperatures make it perfect for enjoying the weather outside and inside our homes. When it comes to energy use, early fall and late spring are typically our lowest energy use months because we don’t have to heat or cool…
Published September 27, 2022 Fall is here, and so is Energy Awareness Month. During October, we invite all Minnesotans to observe Energy Awareness Month by taking a closer look at their relationship with energy. Whether you’re turning on the heat, charging your phone, or cooking a meal, energy plays a major role in our lives….
Published September 14, 2022 Guest post by Christine McCormick In spring 2022, I began my internship with CUB. My project was to map energy burden and contributing factors in Minnesota and to publish it in the form of an ArcGIS StoryMap. In my last semester of undergrad, I was ready to step up to the…
Published August 22, 2022 Since the fall of 2021, most Minnesotans who receive natural gas from CenterPoint Energy, Xcel Energy, Minnesota Energy Resources (“MERC”), or Great Plains Natural Gas Co. have had an extra surcharge added to their monthly gas bills. These surcharges enable the above utilities to gradually recover approximately $660 million in extraordinary…
Brandon joined the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota in June 2021 as a summer legal intern and has since joined CUB full-time as a Policy and Regulatory Advocate. He graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in May 2022 with a concentration in Environmental and Energy Law. While in law school, Brandon helped draft…
Updated September 29, 2022 (Additional public hearings added); Published August 17, 2022 Last year, Xcel Energy filed a request to increase electric rates by more than 20 percent. If you are an Xcel customer, you are already seeing a 6.4 percent interim rate increase on your bills, which is in effect as the Public Utilities…
Published July 26, 2022 Otter Tail Power will soon offer an electricity bill discount to income-qualified customers after the company’s proposal was approved by the Public Utilities Commission last week. With this approval, all of Minnesota’s investor owned utilities will now offer affordability programs for customers with low incomes. Otter Tail’s program, called Uplift, will…
Published July 12, 2022 Summer and winter can both bring unpredictable weather, and Minnesota has its fair share of sudden thunderstorms, snowstorms, and high winds that can damage electrical lines. Power outages can be stressful, uncomfortable, and even dangerous. Here are some tips to prepare for and safely navigate power outages. If you or someone…
Published July 11, 2022 In September 2021, the North Dakota Public Service Commission approved a service agreement to provide energy for a new cryptocurrency mining facility in Jamestown, North Dakota. However, this new facility will become Otter Tail Power’s second largest customer and will draw twice as much energy as the entire city that it…
Published July 7, 2022 Minnesota Power has asked to increase electric rates by more than 18 percent: approximately $180 per year for the average household. How much the utility will ultimately be allowed to raise rates will be determined by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which is now requesting public input. If you are…
