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April 2023 Newsletter
Reminder! Cold Weather Rule ends April 30
Cold Weather Rule payment plans typically end on April 30 unless the utility has agreed to extend the payment plan beyond April 30. Minnesota residents who receive a notice of service disconnection from their electric or natural gas service provider should contact that utility to set up payment plans and for help connecting to the Energy Assistance Program. The deadline to apply for Energy Assistance is May 31, 2023.
The Commission’s Consumer Affairs Office can assist residents in working with their utility to reconnect service, prevent a service disconnection, and to access the Energy Assistance Program in their county. Consumer Affairs Office staff are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Email at consumer.puc@state.mn.us or by phone at 651-296-0406 or 800-657-3782.
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Commission Calendar and Upcoming Events
The information below is subject to change. Current information available online at PUC calendar.
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DATE
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TIME
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EVENT
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Apr 4
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10 AM
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Planning Meeting: Reliability in the North American Power System
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Apr 6
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10 AM
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Agenda Meeting: City of Buffalo and Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association to update Electric Service Territory Records, City of Redwood Falls and Redwood Electric Cooperative to update Electric Service Territory Records, City of Luverne Municipal Utilities and Sioux Valley Energy to update Electric Service Territory Records as part of a permanent Service Area Transfer, Measures to promote greater transportation electrification under the IIJA
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Apr 13
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10 AM
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Agenda Meeting: Dakota Electric Association virtual metered electric vehicle service pilot, Great Plains Natural Gas Co. revenue decoupling rates and report
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Apr 18
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2:30 PM
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Women in Energy panel discussion
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Apr 20
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9:30 AM
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Evidentiary Hearing: Additional Dry Cask Storage at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant
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Apr 20
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10 AM
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Agenda Meeting: Public Grid Data and Security, 2021 Natural Gas Service Quality Reports
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Apr 21
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9:30 AM
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Evidentiary Hearing: Additional Dry Cask Storage at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant
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Apr 27
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10 AM
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Agenda Meeting: Complaint against Zayo Group for 911 violations, reconsideration petition for Minnesota Power rate case
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Notable Commission Decisions or Actions
Filings can be accessed using the docket number at: MN PUC eFiling Search
March 2, 2023 Decision
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Xcel Energy - approval of updated pricing for the Border Winds and Pleasant Valley Wind Repowering Projects (20-620) The Commission approved Xcel’s request. Specifically, the Commission required Xcel to provide a comparison of actual production tax credit levels to the amount assumed in the initial modeling in future RES Rider filings; however, the Commission will address cost recovery in the RES Rider docket.
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All electric utilities – compliance with 2021 RES, RES biennial reporting and Green Pricing verification process (22-12, 22-85, 02-1240) The Commission found that each utility subject to the RES was in compliance in 2021. Additionally, the Commission found Xcel Energy and Minnesota Power to be in compliance with the SES.
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Xcel Energy’s Community Solar Garden – approve calculation of 2023 VOS rate and vintage year bill credit tariff sheets (13-867) The Commission approved Xcel’s calculation of the Value of Solar (VOS) rate for 2023 at $0.1323/kWh. Xcel Community Solar Garden subscribers will be compensated at this rate, effective on the date of the 2023 Commission Order until the 2024 VOS Vintage rate is effective. The Commission declined to adopt methodological changes to the avoided distribution cost calculation. The Commission elected to table the decision of whether to extend the residential adder to the 2023 VOS vintage until after Xcel submits its final report evaluating the residential adder by May 1, 2023, and directed the Department of Commerce to work with Xcel on developing possible alternatives to the residential adder to facilitate residential subscriptions to community solar gardens. The Commission also determined that subscriptions which are in the name of landlord on behalf of a tenant are not eligible for the residential adder and directed Xcel to file tariff language to accomplish this.
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Updating Generic Standards for the interconnection and operation of distributed generation facilities (16-521) The Commission approved the Technical Subgroup’s recommendations to the Technical Interconnection and Interoperability Requirements (TIIR). These recommendations specify the technical default settings to the IEEE 1547-2018 Certified Inverters including voltage mitigation settings like Volt-Var and Volt-Watt. The full implementation of the TIIR is set to be effective pending a Notice from the Commission that these certified inverters are “readily available”. At this time, that Notice is anticipated to be filed in the Fall of this year.
March 6 & 8, 2023 Action
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Public hearings on Xcel Energy Petition for Public Charging Network, an Electric School Bus Pilot, and program modifications (22-432) Approximately 350 people attended virtual hearings and several hundred filed public comments in the docket. After the public hearings, Xcel filed a motion to suspend procedural schedule for 60 days which ALJ Order approved and requires Xcel to file update by April 24.
March 9, 2023 Decision
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Byron Solar application for a Certificate of Need, Site and Route Permits (20-763, 20-764, 20-765) The Commission approved the 200MW Byron Solar Project located in Dodge and Olmstead counties. As part of their site permit, Byron Solar agreed to consult with landowners, local governments, and the Department of Natural Resources to mitigate visual impacts to adjacent residents and a vegetation management plan. News release
March 16, 2023 Decision
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Approval of a Xcel Energy 2020 Gas Utility Infrastructure Cost (GUIC) Rider True-up Report, updated costs for 2021, 2022 revenue requirements, and Revised Adjustment Factors (21-765) The Commission approved Xcel’s proposed 2022 GUIC Rider revenue requirement and adjustment factors, accepted the GUIC Rider True-up Report, allowed Xcel to update the base rate recovery offset inputs to the 2022 rider revenue requirement once actual 2021 and 2022 retirements are known, and directed Xcel to include the corresponding support schedules for the offset amount for each cost category. The Commission required Xcel to make a compliance filing within ten days of the date of the Order showing the final rate adjustment factors, and all related tariff changes.
March 23, 2023 Decision
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Xcel Energy’s petition for authority to increase natural gas rates in Minnesota (21-678) The Commission approved Xcel Energy’s natural gas rate settlement. Under the agreement, Xcel natural gas will see an increase of $20.888 million or 2.7%. This final agreement reduces the Company’s initial request of $35.629 million (6.6%). Residential ratepayers will see an increase of about $2.56 per month.
March 29-30, 2023 Action
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Public hearings on additional Dry Cask Storage at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation in Wright County (21-668) Two hearings were held, one in-person and one virtual with public comment accepted at both meetings. Public comment is open until April 14. The Commission is expected to review in Fall 2023.
March 30, 2023 Decision
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All telecommunications carriers that operate in the 507 Area Code In the matter of a relief plan for the exhaust of the 507 Numbering Plan Area (22-461) The Commission voted to implement an overlay relief plan, in which new phone numbers in the 507 geographic area will be assigned a new area code. The Commission also approved a 13-month timeline for planning and implementation.
Other decisions
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DOCKET
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FILING OR DOCKET SUMMARY
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20-747
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In the matter of the Commission inquiry into the advertising, outreach, and offering of Lifeline by High Cost ETCs, the Commission requested that the Dept. of Commerce hold a workgroup with ETCs and stakeholders to find appropriate modifications to the best practices.
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19-568
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The Commission approved the proposed Elk Creek Solar Energy Purchase Agreement and allowed Xcel to recover the costs for the replacement projects and interim replacement energy, RECs and capacity from Renewable*Connect customers.
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22-489
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The Commission approved Xcel Energy’s sale of 348 acres of land at Sherco
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22-422
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The Commission denied Clean Up the River Environment’s petition for reconsideration of the February 6, 2023 Order on Summit Carbon Solutions Otter Tail to Wilkin Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Project.
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23-44
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The Commission approved Dakota Electric Association’s 2023 AGi rider monthly fixed charge per meter amounts for various rate classes.
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19-401; 19-517; 19-518; 19-542; 19-551; 19-555; 19-556
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The Commission accepted natural gas utilities’ 2018-2019 Annual Automatic Adjustment Reports and Annual Purchased Gas Adjustment True-up Filings.
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20-655; 2-656; 20-684; 20-698; 20-699; 20-705
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The Commission accepted the natural gas utilities' 2019-2020 Annual Automatic Adjustment Reports and Annual Purchased Gas Adjustment True-up Filings.
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Notable New Dockets or Filings
Filings can be accessed using the docket number at: MN PUC eFiling Search
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DOCKET
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FILING OR DOCKET SUMMARY
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22-432
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Xcel filed a motion to suspend procedural schedule for 60 days which ALJ Order approved and requires Xcel to file update by April 24
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22-572, 22-579
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Amber Kestral LLC requested post-pone Xcel Data Center docket until late Summer 2023 due to economic need to re-evaluate
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22-504
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Parties filed testimony for MERC rate case
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20-867, 20-866, 20-865
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EERA filed draft route permit for Dodge County Wind Transmission
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22-131
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Xcel filed CN application for the MN Energy Connection (Sherco to Lyon County) transmission line
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21-109
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Magellan Pipeline Company, L.P. for Partial Exemption
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21-630
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Xcel electric rate case ALJ report filed
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21-331
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Otter Power filed updated IRP modeling
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21-335
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Minnesota Power, Large Power Intervenors, and Department filed recon or clarification requests on the MP rate case
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22-532
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Change to original newsletter – Xcel did not file a CN and route permit.
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22-75
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Great River Energy filed IRP
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Get involved in the PUC process
The Public Utilities Commission encourages Minnesotans to get involved in our processes, stay informed on utility-related issues, and provide input on topics of interest. Visit our website to see what is currently open for public comment. Also, check out the series of short videos that explains who we are, how we work and how to get involved.
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