Published September 2, 2021 In May of 2020, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (“PUC”) opened a docket (the “Economic Recovery” docket) with the goal of identifying possible utility investments that could help Minnesota recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The PUC required utilities to provide a report of ongoing, planned, or possible investments…
Published July 7, 2021 Xcel Energy began its Flex Pricing Pilot program in November 2020. Participants in the program are charged different electricity rates based on the time of day they use energy. The program is underway in areas around south Minneapolis and Eden Prairie until November 2022. Summer, when demand for electricity is greatest,…
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…
Published April 6, 2021 Back in December 2020, I wrote a blog about a program Xcel proposed to partially forgive unpaid utility bills of Minnesota customers who are among the farthest past-due on their bills. The “Payment Plan Credit Proposal” was one of several proposals Xcel made in the “Economic Recovery docket,” which the Public…
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…
February 18, 2021 PV Magazine William Driscoll Minnesota’s Xcel Energy could save consumers money by accelerating its plans to build 3.5 GW of utility-scale PV, and allowing for 2.6 GW of distributed solar and 1.3 GW of distributed storage, according to a resource plan developed by Vibrant Clean Energy (VCE) and filed with state regulators…
February 17, 2021 Inside Climate News Dan Gearino In the national debate over the role of natural gas power in the energy transition, some of the key players are digging in for a battle in Minnesota. The state is the home of Xcel Energy, the first large U.S. utility to commit to reaching net-zero emissions,…
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…
January 21, 2021 Star Tribune Mike Hughlett All Energy Solar filed complaints over delays connecting smaller projects to the electricity grid. Minnesota utility regulators Thursday slapped Xcel Energy with a rare $1 million fine for a bevy of complaints over delays in connecting solar projects to the electricity grid. Almost all of the roughly 120…
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,…
