Testify at 2 pm today on Xcel Energy’s plan to increase your electric bill to build electric vehicle chargers

If you’re unhappy about Xcel Energy’s plan to increase your electric bills to pay for electric vehicle charging stations, you can air your grievances today at an online hearing from 2 pm to 4 pm before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.

To participate, click the link below and type this number: 2488 380 0733, into the box that says “Enter Meeting Information.” For the password, type MnPUC!

https://minnesota.webex.com/webappng/sites/minnesota/dashboard?siteurl=minnesota

If you are not sure what to say, here is some suggested language you can use.


Dear Members of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission,

I am testifying today because I strongly oppose Xcel Enery’s attempt to increase my electric bill to fund the building of electric vehicle charging stations. I am urging you to vote no to this proposal in the strongest-possible terms.

Minnesota families and businesses are already struggling with high electricity costs as electricity rates in 2022 reached new all-time highs.[1] Unfortunately, Xcel’s proposal would compound these hardships.

It is absolutely wrong to increase the cost of electricity for low and middle-income families to pay for electric vehicle charging stations because these families, as a rule, cannot afford electric cars. As a result, this proposed initiative will benefit wealthy people on the backs of hardworking families. If you care about concepts like environmental justice, you cannot support this proposal.

Furthermore, the transmission and distribution of electricity are natural monopolies, but the provision of electric vehicle charging stations is not. Tesla did not need a government-approved rate of return to establish a robust charging network, and neither does Xcel Energy.

If Xcel Energy wishes to participate in the public electric vehicle charging industry, it should do so through an unregulated subsidiary and not as a regulated monopoly. The company should not be allowed to cynically use the funds of captive ratepayers to pad its rate base and increase its corporate profits under the guise of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.