June 1, 2023 Star Tribune Mike Hughlett Xcel Energy said it will reconsider significant investments in Minnesota after state regulators on Thursday approved a three-year rate increase that was much less than what the the state’s largest utility wanted. Read more.
01Jun
Minnesota Emerges as the Midwest’s Leader in the Clean Energy Transition
May 31, 2023 Inside Climate News Aydali Campa Six months ago, John Delurey, the senior regional director at Vote Solar, would have said that Illinois “sits on the shoulders of some of the most robust and equitable climate legislation in the country and region.” But after this year’s legislative session, Minnesota is giving Illinois a…
27Jan
A guide to the Minnesota DFL’s 100% carbon-free standard
January 27, 2023 MinnPost Walker Orenstein The DFL bill that would steer utilities toward a carbon-free electric grid is simple in concept: All electric utilities in the state would be asked to use 100% emissions-free energy by 2040. But the proposal — which Democrats have advanced through the Legislature at lightspeed in January — is really…
25Jan
Minnesota Lawmakers Seek Nixing Natural Gas, Oil Imports from State’s Electric Utility Supplies by 2040
January 24, 2023 Natural Gas Intelligence Morgan Evans Minnesota’s state legislature has ramped up the clean energy targets for electric utilities with a bill that would ensure utility customers would receive 100% of their energy from only carbon-free resources 10 years sooner than many utilities had initially planned. Read more.
07Dec
Xcel drops request to raise electric rates next year
December 7, 2022 MPR News Kirsti Marohn Xcel Energy has dropped a controversial request for a $122 million electric rate increase next year. Minnesota’s largest electric utility, which serves 1.3 million customers in Minnesota, requested to raise rates about 21 percent over three years. Last year, the state Public Utilities Commission granted Xcel an interim…
14Nov
CenterPoint, Xcel challenge decision forcing them to pay more of historic winter storm’s costs
November 9, 2022 Star Tribune Mike Hughlett Minnesota’s two largest gas utilities are challenging a state ruling prohibiting them from together charging consumers $55 million for costs incurred during a 2021 winter storm. CenterPoint Energy and Xcel Energy on Tuesday asked the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to “reconsider” its August decision, which faulted the two utilities…
14Oct
Home heating costs in Minnesota expected to increase dramatically this winter
October 12, 2022 MinnPost Brian Lambert This from MPR’s Kirsti Marohn, “Fuel prices are on the rise, and that means most Minnesotans will be paying considerably more to keep their homes warm this winter. Whether you use natural gas to heat your home — as about two-thirds of Minnesotans do — or some other energy source,…
12Aug
Utilities may not charge Minnesotans for entire cost of 2021 winter storm, regulators say
August 11, 2022 Minnesota Reformer Max Nesterak The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission decided Thursday that three of the state’s largest gas utilities may not charge customers for the entire cost of gas during the 2021 winter storm that sent prices surging and froze critical gas infrastructure in Texas and Oklahoma.
12Aug
Minnesota consumers will pay $600M in extra costs from February 2021 storm
August 11, 2022 Star Tribune Mike Hughlett Minnesota utility regulators Thursday faulted the state’s gas providers for their response to a February 2021 storm, prohibiting them from passing down nearly $60 million in costs to consumers.
05Aug
Minnesota regulators hear final arguments from utilities on February 2021 storm costs
August 4, 2022 Star Tribune Mike Hughlett The Public Utilities Commission will make a final decision next week on whether the utilities can pass $660 million in costs to ratepayers. Read more.