Published April 5, 2021 Back in January, I wrote a blog about Minnesota Power’s efforts to take a procedural step towards recovering revenue losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a nutshell, the Company sought the Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) permission to calculate the amount of revenue it lost when two of its large industrial…
Published April 2, 2021 Two weeks ago, I wrote about proposed legislation to help consumers weather a dramatic spike in the price of natural gas that occurred in February. The issue is moving forward in both the legislative and regulatory arenas, so I am back with an update. The severe cold weather that hit Texas…
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 March 8, 2021 2020 was a challenging year (understatement). All of us have been affected, in some way, by COVID-19 and measures taken to slow its spread. That said, Minnesota’s COVID-19 Response data shows that the pandemic has been disproportionately harmful to certain demographic groups. Throughout the pandemic, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color…
Published February 22, 2021. Updated March 1 to include Senate File number. A bill being advanced by CUB and the Energy CENTS Coalition at the state legislature would expand the opportunity for public representation at the Public Utilities Commission. The bill updates a Minnesota law called “intervenor compensation,” which allows people and nonprofits to have…
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 December 22, 2020 Last Thursday, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved an arrangement that will avoid a rate increase for Xcel Energy’s residential customers in 2021. This fall, Xcel filed a “rate case” — a request to increase their base rates by 20 percent — with the PUC. At the time of filing,…
Published December 2, 2020 In a written order issued on November 20, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission adopted CUB’s proposed standards for access to energy data. The standards will allow groups like CUB to find ways to reduce costs, reduce emissions, and make rates more fair. In August 2019, CUB filed a petition with the…
Published December 1, 2020 Xcel Energy has proposed a program to forgive unpaid utility bills of Minnesota customers who are among the farthest past-due on their bills. The proposal, initially filed as a part of Xcel’s proposals for economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, would forgive 75 percent of the unpaid bills for customers who…
Published October 28, 2020 In May of this year, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (“PUC”) opened a new docket (the “Economic Recovery” docket) with the goal of better understanding how regulated utilities can “assist in Minnesota’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.” To that end, the PUC required all of Minnesota’s regulated gas and electric…
