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…
17Feb
How Does a Utility Turn a Net-Zero Vision into Reality? That’s What They’re Arguing About in Minnesota
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,…
11Feb
The Consumers Plan: $1 billion savings with cleaner energy for Xcel customers
Published February 11, 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 the programs that Xcel…
22Jan
State regulators fine Xcel Energy $1M over dispute with solar developers
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…
22Dec
Xcel residential electric rates to remain the same for another year
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,…
30Nov
CUB recommends that the PUC approve Xcel’s Payment Plan Credit Proposal
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…
03Nov
Xcel files request to increase revenues 20 percent
Published November 3, 2020 Xcel Energy has filed a request with the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to increase electric rates in Minnesota. Xcel is requesting a 20 percent increase in total revenues over three years. Residential customers would see a 14 percent increase in the first year, 1.5 percent in the second year, and…
20Aug
Xcel should be held accountable for delays in connecting customers’ solar arrays
Published August 20, 2020 Rooftop solar has been gaining popularity in Xcel’s service territory in recent years. Xcel customers who install solar arrays on their homes or businesses receive credits on their bill for production that exceeds their use and may be eligible to receive other incentives and tax credits; however, these bill credits and…
29Jun
Xcel grid modernization efforts move forward: CUB watching for consumer protections
Published June 29, 2020 The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) recently gave Xcel Energy the go-ahead for significant investments to modernize its local electricity grid. On May 29, the PUC approved Xcel’s plan to install smart meters for customers as well as the related communications network, and invest in additional advanced technologies in their electricity…
25Jun
Inside Clean Energy: Here Are the States Where You Save the Most on Fuel by Choosing an EV
June 25, 2020 Inside Climate News Dan Gearino The promise of saving money could be an essential part of nudging the public to begin driving all-electric cars and trucks. But it’s not easy to figure out the differences in costs between an EV and a model that runs on gasoline. The calculation needs to include…