Published January 10, 2023 CUB is pleased to have played an important role in a new regulatory development: Minnesota will now require its three largest natural gas utilities to file integrated resource plans (IRPs)! This blog post provides an overview of how this requirement arose and why it matters. On September 15, 2022, Minnesota’s four largest…
Published November 28, 2022 Earlier this month, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved Minnesota Power’s plans for the future of its energy system. As required by law, Minnesota Power’s latest Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) provides a roadmap for how the utility will meet its electricity demand over the next 15 years. Throughout the IRP…
Published February 9, 2022 Yesterday, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) made its determination in Xcel Energy’s integrated resource plan (IRP), mapping Xcel’s future power generation. The plan will substantially reduce emissions while maintaining reliability. Under the plan, Xcel will close expensive fossil fuel generators, build out clean energy resources, help affected power plant workers…
Published June 28, 2021. Updated July 7, 2021 with information about comment process. On Friday, Xcel Energy announced that it was no longer pursuing its proposed natural gas power plant in Sherburne County (the “Sherco plant”). Xcel said it heard strong opposition to the plant (including from CUB) and took another look to find an…
March 6, 2021 Star Tribune Mike Hughlett The rise of natural gas-fired power was long welcomed — or at least accepted — by both utilities and clean-energy groups. Gas vanquished coal, cutting both carbon dioxide emissions and wholesale electricity costs. But to renewable-energy advocates, gas’ days are numbered — at least as far as building…
Published February 11, 2021. Updated July 7, 2021 Minnesota regulators are currently considering Xcel Energy’s plan for how it will generate electricity over the next 15 years. For Xcel customers, this plan largely decides how much of your energy will come from coal, gas, wind, solar, and nuclear, as well as a great deal about…
Published August 4, 2020 Last month I wrote about CUB’s comments filed with the Public Utilities Commission (the “Commission”) in Docket 16-664 recommending that the Commission deny Minnesota Power’s (the “Company”) request to extend the deadline for its Integrated Resource Plan (“IRP”). As noted in our comments, the Company’s IRP filing deadline had been extended twice…
October 17, 2019 Mankato, Minnesota (KEYC) Holly Bernstein Xcel Energy is currently working on an Integrated Resource Plan, which determines how it will provide electricity to its customers for the next 15 years. For consumers, the plan maps out the source of their home electricity and how much energy comes from coal, gas, wind and solar power….
