Published March 9, 2017 A bill before the state Senate Energy and Utilities Committee today would eliminate a step in the regulatory process for constructing new large renewable energy facilities. While there may be ways to streamline regulation without weakening consumer protections, we must fully consider the consequences of a possibly significant change to the way Minnesota handles…
01Mar
Governor Dayton signs law allowing new Xcel plant without usual regulatory review
Published March 1, 2017 Yesterday, Governor Dayton signed into law the bill allowing Xcel Energy to build a new natural gas power plant in Sherburne County without the usual regulatory review. The bill, described in this Star Tribune article, will give Xcel permission to build the new plant at its existing Sherco generating station. Two…
09Feb
Governor Dayton would sign Senate bill for new Xcel power plant
Published February 9, 2017 According to a statement issued today, Governor Dayton expects to sign HF 113/SF 85 as amended in the Senate last week. The bill allows Xcel Energy to build a new power plant in Becker, without going through the normal certificate of need review by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). CUB initially opposed the…
01Feb
Provisions to help protect ratepayers added to Xcel’s power plant bill
Published February 1, 2017 As CUB supporters know, a bill at the legislature this year would allow Xcel Energy to build and own a new natural gas power plant, bypassing any of the usual regulatory review, and making Xcel customers foot the bill. CUB has won significant ratepayer protections in the version of the bill that…
13Jan
Tell your legislators: Xcel’s bill to sidestep regulation is a bad idea for consumers
Published January 13, 2017 On Tuesday, a bill will be heard in the state House of Representatives that would allow Xcel to build and own a new power plant, without having to go through a long-standing regulatory process that determines which new plants are in the consumers’ best interests. This article from today’s Star Tribune…
27Dec
Plan Ahead – Get LED Holiday Lights for Next Year Now
Published December 27, 2016 Many people love shopping after the holidays and picking up seasonal bargains. If you like decorating your home with holiday lights, think about adding discounted LED holiday lights to your shopping list. LED lights use less energy than traditional light bulbs so you will use less electricity, which is good for your budget…
15Dec
Minnesota Power rates will increase January 1
Published December 15, 2016 Minnesota Power customers should expect to see an increase in their electric rates starting the first of the year. This reflects an “interim” increase of 5.6% approved by the Public Utilities Commission today, the first step in Minnesota Power’s request for a larger “general” rate increase. As we’ve talked about on this blog, Minnesota…
09Dec
Minnesota Power proposes 28% rate hike
Published December 9, 2016 Minnesota Power, which serves many people in northeastern and central Minnesota, is requesting rate increases that would result in an average 28% hike for its residential customers. The utility has two requests before the state regulatory body, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). On November 2, it requested a general rate increase, proposing…
19Nov
Other view: ‘Wind is significantly cheaper’
November 19, 2016 / Duluth News Tribune “Wind is on the list (of factors driving Minnesota Power’s request to raise rates). But it’s not the biggest factor of the five factors that they have on that list. I would say driving their need for investment (is the utility’s) need (for) more generation, period. The comparison…
17Oct
This winter’s heating fuel outlook: Higher prices than last year, but near or below average
Published October 17, 2016 The cost of heating a home in the Midwest this winter is projected to be as much as 38% higher than last year, but bills are still expected to be near or below the 7-year average. The US Energy Information Administration has released its Winter Fuels Outlook, which projects the per-unit…