RTO Insider, December 3, 2019 Tom Leckner SAN ANTONIO — Two environmental groups that say regulated utilities’ practice of self-committing coal plants is costing ratepayers have a point, RTO officials said Monday, even as they challenged the groups’ estimates.  The issue is also attracting scrutiny from state regulators. The Sierra Club released a study last month…

S&P Global, November 20, 2019 Maya Weber San Antonio — If all generation were dispatched economically in Midcontinent Independent System Operator, average wholesale power prices would rise 3%, but production costs would drop 11%, lowering consumer costs, according to a preliminary analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists presented Tuesday. The group, along with the Sierra…

Virtually every utility today has goals to move to renewables Lake County News Chronicle, November 16, 2019 Katya Gordan This month’s Community Partners climate event focuses on energy. We may not consciously think about energy every day, but we live in heated homes and travel on some kind of paid energy. The costs of our…

Utility rate increases are poised to push Minnesota past the national average.  Star Tribune, November 16, 2019 Mike Hughlett Hefty rate hikes that Minnesota’s largest utilities are seeking could push the state’s electricity prices above the national average for the first time in years. Residential prices in Minnesota have been more expensive than for the…

November 8, 2019 Mankato KEYC Holly Bernstein MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) — The Citizens Utility Board is recommending several tips for saving energy this winter. They recommend adjusting your thermostat to 68 degrees when you are awake and turning it down about 10 degrees while you are away or asleep. They also suggest opening the blinds…