May 20, 2021 Center for Energy and Environment Mike Bull Minnesota’s regular legislative session ended on May 18 with the biggest clean energy win since 2013, strengthening our most successful energy policy in state history. After six years of hard work and deep bipartisan collaboration, the Energy Conservation and Optimization Act (known as “ECO”) was…
19May
Minnesota utilities fell $90M short in protecting customers from February storm costs, agency says
May 13, 2021 Star Tribune Mike Hughlett Steep bills for natural gas customers during a crippling winter storm in February could end with some changes in what’s allowed for Minnesota utilities if two state agencies have anything to say about it. The Minnesota Department of Commerce says consumers are being socked with $90 million in…
23Apr
Minnesota gasps at the financial damage it faces from the Texas freeze
April 22, 2021 The Washington Post Will Englund When that big freeze hit Texas in February, the Lone Star State couldn’t help but share its pain. With its ill-equipped natural gas systems clocked by the cold, Texas’s exports across the Rio Grande froze up and 4.7million customers in northern Mexico went without electricity — more…
22Apr
More Minnesotans eligible for Energy Assistance, application deadline extended
Published April 22, 2021 More Minnesota households are now eligible for Energy Assistance and have more time to apply for these important benefits. The household income eligibility guidelines have increased from 50% of the state median income to 60% of the state median income. This applies either to a household’s annual income or the three…
21Apr
Major Minnesota electric and gas utilities will resume shutoffs August 2
Published April 21, 2021 Last Thursday, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) adopted a transition plan to allow the state’s regulated utilities to resume service disconnections of residential customers. These utilities had been prohibited from disconnecting residential customers for nonpayment since the spring of 2020. The PUC approved a plan that will allow shutoffs to…
06Apr
PUC approves Xcel program to forgive bills of customers who owe at least $1,000
Published April 6, 2021 Back in December 2020, I wrote a blog about a program Xcel proposed to partially forgive unpaid utility bills of Minnesota customers who are among the farthest past-due on their bills. The “Payment Plan Credit Proposal” was one of several proposals Xcel made in the “Economic Recovery docket,” which the Public…
23Mar
Utility bills are hitting Minnesotans harder than ever
March 22, 2021 MPR Angela Davis and Katie Moritz There’s almost nothing the devastation of the pandemic hasn’t touched. That includes everyday things like bills and Minnesotans’ ability to pay them. During the pandemic, more Minnesotans have struggled to pay utility bills. The number of overdue bills in the state and the dollar amount of…
04Feb
CUB helps consumer with electric heat save hundreds this heating season
Published February 4, 2021 I recently spoke with a woman whose January electricity bill for a rented 2-bedroom duplex was over $500! I had a conversation with her to understand a bit more about her home and her personal situation. I made some initial suggestions that would cut her bill by nearly one-third and also followed…
20Jan
CUB supports Minnesota House bill for 100% carbon-free electricity
Published January 21, 2021 Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives Climate and Energy Committee will hear a bill that would require the state’s electric utilities to supply 100% of their electricity from carbon-free sources by 2040. The bill, authored by committee chair Jamie Long with the support of Governor Walz and his administration, sets a…
29Dec
Managing space heater usage
Published December 29, 2020 As we enter the winter months, temperatures are starting to drop, and many households may be looking to portable space heaters to help stay warm in their homes. If this includes you, it is important to factor in the capability, costs, and efficiency of space heaters. This blog post will dig…