The state Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) is on the brink of approving two massive new electric transmission line projects. Next week (April 10) the Commission will meet to take up…
The North Dakota Public Service Commission (PSC) yesterday approved natural gas rate increases for Montana-Dakota Utilities customers and the Northern States Power Company. MDU customers will see an approved rate…
Electricity rates are on the rise for commercial electricity users, which include Minnesota grocery stores, schools, and small businesses, adding to the rising costs these firms already face due to…
Minnesota families who buy their electricity from Xcel Energy are paying the highest prices of any investor-owned utility in Minnesota, according to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.…
Several Southern States experienced rolling blackouts during the week of Christmas as Winter Storm Elliot caused electricity demand in some areas, such as the Tennesee Valley Authority (TVA), to surge…
Saturday, May 14, 2022, was likely the first time many Minnesotans were told that our electric grid could suffer from rolling blackouts in the near future. Our readers have known…
How Otter Tail Power benefits a North Dakota energy plant.
Xcel Energy is currently attempting to force their electricity customers in North Dakota to help foot the bill for Minnesota’s bad energy policies and the government-approved monopoly’s predatory profit-seeking behavior.…
In a recent interview with S&P Global, Bob Frenzel, Xcel Energy’s President and COO outlined the company’s vision for the next nine years and it is clear that the government-approved…
On Feb. 18, 2021, Commissioner John Tuma of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) called out grid operators in Texas for failing to plan for winter weather. As reported by KTTC,…
The Polar Vortex of 2021 could be the biggest strain on Minnesota's energy system in the last year, and it will be Minnesota's coal, nuclear, and natural gas fleet that…
Otter Tail Power Company (OTP), the smallest electric utility in the state of Minnesota, will build 50 megawatts of solar near their soon-to-be retired Hoot Lake coal facility. The Fergus…
Xcel Energy bombards the airwaves with commercials stating how they are going to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and provide “affordable” energy to their customers. The problem with these slogans is…
Last week the Minneapolis Star-Tribune ran an article entitled “Xcel Proposes $3B in Renewable Projects to Bolster Economy Dogged by Pandemic.” In the article, the author discusses Xcel’s plan to…
Yesterday, I wrote about The Good aspects of the Minnesota State Senate’s Clean Energy First bill. Today I’ll talk about The Bad aspects, and tomorrow I’ll suggest ways to amend…
Last night, I drove down to Rochester to testify at a hearing on the Minnesota Senate’s Clean Energy First bill. As you will see in my testimony, this proposed legislation…
The Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association (MMUA) represents electric utilities that are owned and operated by municipal governments throughout the state of Minnesota. The association publishes a monthly newsletter, and one…
This weekend, Mike Hughlett of the Star Tribune wrote an excellent article entitled “Minnesota’s Days of Cheaper Electricity Seem Numbered,” which details how Minnesota electricity prices have increased substantially in…
We have been reporting for some time that electricity rates in Minnesota are now surpassing that of the national average. With this new information, it’s now safe to say that…
Fresh Energy often claims wind is the cheapest source of electricity in Minnesota, but they rely on cherry-picked data to make their case.
Renewable energy advocates often quote the cost of power purchase agreements (PPA) between wind and solar developers and utilities as evidence that wind and solar are the cheapest sources of…
This article is the second installment explaining the findings of our new study entitled Doubling Down on Failure, How a 50 percent by 2030 Renewable Energy Standard Would Cost Minnesota $80.2…
The story below from the Star Tribune summarizes a meeting held yesterday at the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which was held to determine how well Minnesota’s utility companies weathered…
On Tuesday, I was in St. Paul to testify on House File 700, which would increase Minnesota’s renewable energy mandate to 55 percent renewable by 2030, and 80 percent renewable…