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…
09Feb
State regulators approve Xcel plan that shifts from coal to nuclear energy, renewables
February 8, 2022 Star Tribune Mike Hughlett Minnesota utility regulators on Tuesday unanimously approved Xcel Energy’s long-term plans for power generation, which are aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining reliable and affordable electricity. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) gave the go-ahead for Minneapolis-based Xcel to close its coal plants by 2030, extend the…
03Feb
Energy costs rising, a double whammy for Twin Cities homeowners already behind due to the pandemic
February 3, 2022 Twin Cities Pioneer Press Deanna Weniger Minnesotans turned down the thermostat, wrapped themselves in electric blankets, put plastic over their windows and updated their furnaces to cut costs this winter, but in many cases saw no change on their heating bills. “I’ve been a homeowner for eight years. This is the highest…
21Jan
Xcel’s long-range plan faces pushback over role of fossil peaking plants
January 21, 2022 Energy News Network Frank Jossi Xcel Energy’s proposal to potentially build two new natural gas peaking plants has become a key point of contention in the utility’s long-term resource plan currently before Minnesota utility regulators. The two natural gas combustion turbine plants are part of Xcel’s integrated resource plan, a document utilities…
20Jan
Minnesota House DFL proposes spending $1B of surplus on climate plan
January 20, 2022 Duluth News Tribune Alex Derosier ST. PAUL — Minnesota House Democrats are proposing the state use $1 billion of its projected, record-breaking $7.7 billion budget surplus for a wide range of legislation aimed at curbing the effects of human-caused climate change. At a news conference Wednesday, Jan. 19, the House Climate Action…
20Jan
Dispelling Misinformation on Wind, Solar Amid Utility Rate Hikes
January 20, 2022 Public News Service Mike Moen Minnesota is seeing a flurry of utility rate hikes either being considered or taking effect. Those who support renewable energy warn there’s some misleading information in the public sphere about what is behind the activity. Xcel Energy has a pending rate hike before state regulators. If approved, it would…
27Dec
Electric and gas rates set to rise across Minnesota
December 27, 2021 MPR News Dan Kraker It’s been a busy few weeks at the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. The PUC is charged with approving the rates that the state’s regulated utilities can charge for their electric and natural gas service. And right now, the state’s biggest electric and gas utilities are all requesting rate…
13Dec
Minnesota utility regulators soften rate increases sought by Xcel
December 9, 2021 Star Tribune Brooks Johnson Recognizing Minnesota residents are “under financial distress,” state regulators slashed a proposed Xcel Energy electric rate increase. Interim residential rates will still rise, but only about $5.50 a month instead of about $8.50. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on Thursday approved a total interim rate increase of…
03Dec
Regulators approve interim rate hike for Minnesota Power customers
December 2, 2021 Duluth News Tribune Jimmy Lovrien The 7.11% increase will take effect in January. Minnesota Power customers will see bills go up beginning Jan. 1. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Thursday morning unanimously approved raising rates for the company’s residential customers by 7.11% and its industrial and commercial customers by 14.23%. The…