May 24, 2022 Star Tribune Mike Hughlett Minnesota natural gas utilities acted “prudently” during a historic February 2021 storm, so they should be allowed to fully pass on $660 million in extra gas costs to their customers, according to two administrative law judges. The judges’ conclusions, released Tuesday, rejected contentions from two state agencies that…
11May
Coming this Summer: Spiking Electricity Bills Plus Blackouts
May 11, 2022 Inside Climate News Dan Gearino Electricity prices are rising in much of the country at the same time that climate change is contributing to extreme heat and a high chance of blackouts this summer. For consumers, the result is an increase in financial strain to pay for a product that often is…
21Apr
CenterPoint boosts CEO pay to $37.8 million, blowing past other utilities
April 19, 2022 Energy and Policy Institute Karlee Weinmann CenterPoint Energy paid its CEO a total of $37.8 million last year, far exceeding executive pay at peer companies while it sought massive rate hikes for customers already struggling to keep up with skyrocketing utility bills. A review of executive compensation at large U.S. utilities places David Lesar’s…
19Apr
Minnesota House, Senate support storm-related relief, but far apart on other energy-funding issues
Star Tribune Mike Hughlett April 17, 2022 Legislation in both chambers would cushion the blow of huge natural gas price spikes, while the House has ambitious energy-spending plans for items such as weatherization. The Minnesota House and Senate are in rare agreement on a significant energy issue: cushioning the financial blow to Minnesota natural gas…
30Mar
State Lawmakers Weigh Providing Relief To Minnesotans Grappling With High Energy Bills, Surcharges From Feb. 2021 Polar Vortex
March 29, 2022 WCCO Caroline Cummings ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – Minnesota lawmakers are mulling proposals aimed at providing relief to utility customers who are paying for surge charges incurred during a cold snap last February when a winter storm in Texas disrupted natural gas supplies. A proposal that passed out of a Senate committee Wednesday would create a…
17Mar
Sending Out Resumes? MN Officials Suggest Weatherization Jobs
March 17, 2022 Public News Service Mike Moen Wind and solar often get attention for job growth in clean energy, and in Minnesota, those who specialize in home weatherization say demand for this type of work shouldn’t be overlooked. The new federal infrastructure law includes $3.5 billion for weatherization programs, which help low-income households with projects such…
05Mar
Report takes aim at CenterPoint’s gains from Texas merger
March 1, 2022 MPR News Kirsti Marohn An advocacy group is raising questions about CenterPoint Energy’s financial interest in a Texas-based energy company that it says made billions of dollars from natural gas price spikes following a February 2021 winter storm. The Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota, which advocates for utility customers, released the report…
04Mar
Heating costs, driven by high fuel prices, pile on customers already behind on bills
February 26, 2022 Duluth News Tribune Alex Derosier ST. PAUL — Minnesotans have seen their utility bills rise this winter in response to climbing energy prices. While the portion of customers behind on payments has remained steady, filings with state regulators show the amount they owe has grown. In keeping with a general national trend…
21Feb
“I’m struggling”: Soaring heating bills stress Minnesotans
February 21, 2022 Minnesota Reformer Rilyn Eischens Bebe Brandt turned off the heat, piled on blankets and limited stove use to one day a week this winter in hopes of containing her ballooning heating bill. Still, it wasn’t enough. Brandt, a single mom of two in Minneapolis, said her past-due balance swelled to $400. Brandt’s…
15Feb
2021 Winter Storm Uri Repercussions Still Felt – in Minnesota
February 14, 2022 Public News Service Roz Brown The grid failure in Texas this time last year went far beyond the state’s border, and consumer advocates say it means the country needs to shore up its energy infrastructure. Brian Edstrom, senior regulatory advocate for the nonprofit Citizens Utility Board in Minnesota, said the infrastructure bill recently signed into law…