January 21, 2022 Energy News Network Frank Jossi Xcel Energy’s proposal to potentially build two new natural gas peaking plants has become a key point of contention in the utility’s long-term resource plan currently before Minnesota utility regulators. The two natural gas combustion turbine plants are part of Xcel’s integrated resource plan, a document utilities…
19Jan
CUB legal filing: Utilities should cover the $220 million cost of their poor management during Feb. ‘21 natural gas price spike
Published January 19, 2021 CUB is recommending that three Minnesota gas utilities be required to cover $220 million in costs incurred during the storm of February 2021. Last February, Minnesota’s gas utilities spent over $600 million more than usual on gas supplies due to a brief but extreme spike in the price of natural gas…
07Jan
Xcel electricity and gas rates increased on January 1, with final rate hikes pending
Published January 7, 2022 If you receive natural gas or electricity service from Xcel Energy, you’ll notice an interim rate increase on your next bill. Before the holidays, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved the increases, beginning January 1, but at substantially lower amounts than Xcel initially requested. An interim rate hike is a…
27Dec
Electric and gas rates set to rise across Minnesota
December 27, 2021 MPR News Dan Kraker It’s been a busy few weeks at the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. The PUC is charged with approving the rates that the state’s regulated utilities can charge for their electric and natural gas service. And right now, the state’s biggest electric and gas utilities are all requesting rate…
06Dec
CenterPoint & MN Power customers will see interim rate increase in January, but less than each utility initially requested
Published December 6, 2021 Last week, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved interim rate increases for both CenterPoint Energy and Minnesota Power. Customers of each utility will see the interim charge on their bills beginning in January. In both decisions, energy affordability for residential customers was at the front of the PUC’s consideration. CenterPoint…
03Dec
Regulators approve interim rate hike for Minnesota Power customers
December 2, 2021 Duluth News Tribune Jimmy Lovrien The 7.11% increase will take effect in January. Minnesota Power customers will see bills go up beginning Jan. 1. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Thursday morning unanimously approved raising rates for the company’s residential customers by 7.11% and its industrial and commercial customers by 14.23%. The…
30Nov
MN Power customers: Blame big industries’ ups and downs for your increasing electric bills
Published December 2, 2021. This article was printed on the opinion pages of the Duluth News Tribune on December 2, 2021. The recent editorial “Our View: Guess we could have left the lights on all these years” asks whether residential energy conservation and clean energy are to blame for this rate increase. The answer –…
24Nov
CUB joins Xcel proposal seeking to protect renters
Published November 24, 2021 In recent months, CUB has been hearing from consumers (and other consumer advocates) about a new problem affecting some Minnesota renters. Some landlords of multi-unit residences are taking over their tenants’ utility accounts by putting the accounts in the landlord’s name, while continuing to pass utility costs on to the tenants….
11Nov
Minnesota Power backs off hefty interim rate increase
November 11, 2021 Star Tribune Jana Hollingsworth DULUTH — Minnesota Power Wednesday proposed a reduced interim rate increase to its residential customers, following last week’s filing with state regulators. On Nov. 1, the Duluth-based utility proposed to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) an electricity rate increase of 17.58%, or $108 million. The company requested an interim…
10Nov
CenterPoint and Xcel each request gas rate hikes of over 6%, but also offer alternatives
Published November 10, 2021 As they say: when it rains, it pours. On top of already high natural gas prices — and in addition to rate hike filings by Minnesota Power and Xcel’s electricity business — the state’s two largest natural gas utilities have also requested to increase their base rates of providing service. In…