Public Utilities Commission

CUB is leading effort to develop long-term system planning for Minnesota’s gas utilities

Published November 1, 2023 In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri caused natural gas prices to spike across the country. Over a five-day period, Minnesota’s four largest gas utilities incurred approximately $660 million in extraordinary costs serving their Minnesota customers. Most of those costs continue to be recovered today through surcharges added to Minnesotans’ bills. Thankfully,…

PUC approves MERC’s natural gas rate case settlement

Published October 27, 2023 On October 26, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) accepted a settlement agreement that limited rate increases for customers of Minnesota Energy Resources Corporation (MERC). Under the settlement, the company lowered its request to raise rates from approximately $32.7 million to $21.2 million, a more than $11.5 million reduction. As a result, the residential rate…

Step-by-step guide to avoiding utility disconnection

Published September 26, 2023 So, you’re a few months behind on your energy bill, and you’ve received a disconnection notice. Don’t panic – there are avenues to find your way out of this situation and keep your power or gas on without breaking the bank. Keep reading for our step-by-step guide to avoiding disconnection: 1….

PUC requires utilities to maximize IRA benefits

Published July 31, 2023 On Thursday, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) ordered utilities to maximize the benefits of the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in future planning and cost recovery proceedings.  When the IRA was signed into law nearly a year ago, it became the most significant energy investment in U.S. history, providing nearly $400…

Advanced Meters: PUC takes steps to ensure Xcel customers receive benefits and are protected from high costs

Published July 24, 2023 Xcel’s electric rate case is not the only reason the company’s customers will see their electric bills increase. Recently, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) heard a petition from Xcel to recover the costs associated with installing advanced meters. While these meters can provide customers with significant benefits, they are expensive. Cost…

Energy Assistance recipients to be automatically enrolled in CenterPoint program providing affordable bills

Published July 18, 2023 Last week, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (the Commission) approved a proposal to automatically enroll CenterPoint Energy customers who receive Energy Assistance into a program that caps customer bills at an affordable payment each month. These changes will go into effect on January 1, 2024.  Gas Affordability Programs (GAPs) offer income-eligible…

Xcel electric customers to see rate refunds

Published June 29, 2023 On June 1, 2023 the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved a 9.6% rate increase over three years for customers of Xcel Energy’s electric utility. This final rate increase is much lower than the 21.2% rate increase Xcel had initially proposed. It is also lower than the 8.92% interim (temporary) rate increase…

Xcel gas customers to see rate refunds

Published April 6, 2023 On March 23, 2023, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission accepted a settlement that increased rates for Xcel Energy’s natural gas customers. The agreement was negotiated by the company, the Department of Commerce, the Office of the Attorney General, the Suburban Rate Authority, and a group of clean energy organizations (Fresh Energy…

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