February 8, 2022 Star Tribune Mike Hughlett Minnesota utility regulators on Tuesday unanimously approved Xcel Energy’s long-term plans for power generation, which are aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining reliable and affordable electricity. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) gave the go-ahead for Minneapolis-based Xcel to close its coal plants by 2030, extend the…
09Feb
Xcel electricity plan approved: clean energy, storage, and transmission
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…
28Jan
Xcel pilot will provide training, career opportunities for women, veterans, BIPOC Minnesotans
Published January 28, 2022 We previously wrote about CUB’s support for an Xcel workforce development pilot program. This blog post provides an update on this program, which the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (“PUC”) recently approved. In May of 2020, the PUC opened a docket (the “Economic Recovery” docket) with the goal of identifying possible utility investments that…
21Jan
Xcel’s long-range plan faces pushback over role of fossil peaking plants
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…
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…
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…
09Nov
CenterPoint, Xcel file for gas rate increases of over 6%
November 1, 2021 Star Tribune Mike Hughlett Minnesota’s largest natural-gas providers — CenterPoint Energy and Xcel Energy — Monday asked regulators for a rate increase of about 6.5 %, in standard requests that this year would add to costs that are already soaring for other reasons. Sharp increases in the commodity cost of gas are…
01Nov
Xcel asks to hike electric rates by $677 million per year
Published November 1, 2021 Xcel Energy is asking state regulators to charge its Minnesota electric customers an additional $677 million each year, increasing revenues by 21.2% over three years. Xcel’s rate increase request must be approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC), and utilities almost never get the full increase that they ask for….
27Oct
Xcel seeks 20% electric rate increase over three years
October 26, 2021 MPR News Kirsti Marohn Minnesota’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, is asking to raise its electricity rates by around 20 percent over the next three years. Xcel says it needs the increase to cover the costs of replacing an aging electrical system as it transitions to more renewable energy. It comes at a…