November 10, 2021 MPR News Kirsti Marohn Along with chillier weather, Minnesota homeowners should brace for a sharp increase in heating costs expected to hit pocketbooks this winter. Last month, the federal Energy Information Administration predicted that U.S. households will spend 30 to 50 percent more money to heat their homes this winter, depending on…
09Nov
CenterPoint, Xcel file for gas rate increases of over 6%
November 1, 2021 Star Tribune Mike Hughlett Minnesota’s largest natural-gas providers — CenterPoint Energy and Xcel Energy — Monday asked regulators for a rate increase of about 6.5 %, in standard requests that this year would add to costs that are already soaring for other reasons. Sharp increases in the commodity cost of gas are…
09Nov
Minnesota Power proposes 17.5% rate hike
November 1, 2021 Star Tribune Jana Hollingsworth DULUTH – Minnesota Power on Monday proposed to state regulators an electricity rate increase of 17.58%, or $108 million. The Duluth-based utility’s typical residential customers would see an increase of about $15 a month, and small business customers an increase of $55 a month. The company requested an…
27Oct
Xcel seeks 20% electric rate increase over three years
October 26, 2021 MPR News Kirsti Marohn Minnesota’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, is asking to raise its electricity rates by around 20 percent over the next three years. Xcel says it needs the increase to cover the costs of replacing an aging electrical system as it transitions to more renewable energy. It comes at a…
27Oct
Xcel Energy requests 21% increase in electricity rates; here’s what that could mean
October 26, 2021 KARE11 Kent Erdahl MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesotans are already bracing for big jumps in heating costs this winter, and now the state’s largest electricity provider, Xcel Energy, is requesting a rate increase of around 20% over the next three years. Xcel is requesting an electricity rate increase of 21.2%, or $677.4 million, between…
26Oct
Xcel wants to increase Minnesota residential electricity bills by nearly 20%
October 25, 2021 Star Tribune Mike Hughlett Minnesota’s largest electric utility filed its rate case Monday with the state Public Utilities Commission, which must approve it. Xcel Energy on Monday proposed an electricity rate increase of 21.2%, or $677.4 million, over three years, with just more than half hitting Minnesotans’ pocketbooks in 2022. With the…
22Oct
A Minnesota winter is coming. So are higher heating costs.
October 22, 2021 Sahan Journal Andrew Hazzard Minnesotans will spend more on heating bills this winter, experts and government officials say, but there is also more funding available to help low-income households cover costs. A rise in global natural gas prices combined with market hangovers from a deep-freeze in Texas earlier this year means that…
19Jul
Minnesota Power moving to rates that vary by time of day
July 15, 2021 Star Tribune Brooks Johnson DULUTH – Minnesota Power is poised to be the first utility in the state to fully switch to “time of day” electricity rates for residential customers, meaning power is more expensive during certain hours and discounted when it is more readily available. The move is prompted by an…
19Jul
Updated Minnesota conservation program aims to close ‘pre-weatherization’ gap
July 9, 2021 Energy News Network Frank Jossi Efficiency upgrades can be a financial boost for low-income homeowners, but asbestos, mold and other issues sometimes found in older homes can keep those improvements financially out of reach, even with incentives. A new Minnesota law aims to bridge that gap. The state’s existing Conservation Improvement Program…
28May
Minnesota’s new ECO Act will help ease the burdens of energy costs on low-income families, including many people of color
May 28, 2021 Sahan Journal Andrew Hazzard A rare bipartisan bill aims to help Minnesota lower emissions while offering significant savings for low-income families, including many people of color. Governor Tim Walz signed the Energy Conservation and Optimization (ECO) Act into law May 25. The bill modernizes the state’s Conservation Improvement Program, a long-term energy-…