PUC May 2023 Newsletter

Minnesota Public Utilities Commission sent this bulletin at 05/01/2023 12:13 PM CDT

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NEWSLETTER - MAY 2023

Join the PUC’s Energy Facilities Team where you will play a key role in the carbon-free energy transition by leading the development of wind, solar, and high voltage transmission line projects. Staff play an integral role by engaging with the public and interested stakeholders, developing decision making documents, and advising the Commissioners on key decision points. Visit the PUC’s careers page for more information.

Commission Calendar and Upcoming Events

The information below is subject to change. Current information available online at PUC calendar.

DATE	TIME	DETAILS
May 2	10 AM	Planning Meeting: Xcel Energy Blackstart Restoration Planning
May 2	6-9 PM	Public Information and Scoping Meeting: Summit Carbon Solutions Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Project (Breckenridge, MN)
May 3	1-4 PM 6-9 PM	Public Information and Scoping Meeting: Summit Carbon Solutions Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Project (Fergus Falls, MN)
May 4	10 AM	Agenda Meeting: Otter Tail’s request for authority to commence on-site fuel storage at Astoria Station; Xcel Energy’s transmission Cost Recovery Rider revenue requirements for 2021-2022, the resulting adjustment factors by customer class, and performance evaluation of Advanced Grid investments
May 4	6 PM	Public Information and Scoping Meeting: Summit Carbon Solutions Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Project (virtual)
May 10	6 PM	Public Information and Scoping Meeting: Lake Wilson Solar Energy (Slayton, MN)
May 11	10 AM	Agenda Meeting: Xcel Energy amended and restated Elk Creek Solar Energy purchase agreement; Xcel Energy Renewable*Connect Program modification; Xcel Energy’s locational reliability and equity-service quality and reliability metrics and mapping; Xcel Energy Community Solar Garden Program annual update to the applicable retail rate and treatment of planned outages.
May 11	6 PM	Public Information and Scoping Meeting: Lake Wilson Solar Energy (virtual)
May 15	1 PM & 6 PM	Public Hearing: MERC rate case (1 PM-virtual; 6 PM-Rosemount)
May 17	6 PM	Public Information and Scoping Meeting: Great River Energy St. Joseph transmission line rebuild (St. Joseph)
May 18	10 AM	Agenda Meeting: Petition for reconsideration of open data access standards; petition for reconsideration of Xcel resiliency service; Xcel’s 2023 Gas Utility Infrastructure Cost Rider filing
May 18	6 PM	Public Information and Scoping Meeting: Great River Energy St. Joseph transmission line rebuild (virtual)
May 18	6 PM	Public Hearing: MERC rate case (Rochester)
May 23	10 AM	Agenda Meeting: Xcel electric rate case – oral argument
May 23	6 PM	Public Hearing: MERC rate case (virtual)
May 24	10 AM	Agenda meeting: Xcel electric rate case – oral argument
May 29	All day	Memorial Day – PUC offices closed
June 1	10 AM	Agenda Meeting: Xcel electric rate case - deliberations

Notable Commission Decisions or Actions

Filings can be accessed using the docket number at: MN PUC eFiling Search

April 6 Decision

Commission consideration of measures to promote greater electrification of the transportation sector under the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (22-267) The Commission declined to adopt federal standards, determining the Commission had already implemented measures to promote transportation electrification that align with the IIJA requirements. The Commission encouraged parties to divert their proposals to the utilities’ Transportation Electrification Plans filed on November 1, 2023, in Integrated Distribution Plans.

April 13, 2023 Decision

Petition by Dakota Electric Association to implement a pilot virtual metered electric vehicle service (22-592) The Commission approved Dakota Electric Association’s petition to implement a pilot metered electric vehicle service. Dakota Electric developed a methodology using advanced metering infrastructure for identifying electric vehicle charging for customers who do not have a secondary meter and will offer bill credit to customers who enroll in the rate and shift their electric vehicle charging to off-peak hours.

April 20, 2023 Decision

Investigation on grid and customer security issues related to public display or access to electric distribution grid data (20-800) The Commission delegated authority to the Executive Secretary to issues notices, set schedules, designate comment periods, and convene a work group to consider the record and make recommendations and highlight points of remaining disagreement on appropriate data practice frameworks and access to grid data within 18 months. The Commission also provided direction on partnering with the Department of Commerce and which entities to invite into this conversation including DER developers, customer advocates, grid security experts, and local and national law enforcement agencies.

Service Quality Reports for Xcel Energy, CenterPoint Energy, Minnesota Energy Resources Co, Great Plains, Greater Minnesota Gas (22-210, 22-213, 22-219, 22-211, 22-193) The Commission accepted the 2021 gas service quality reports for Xcel, CenterPoint, Great Plains, and Greater Minnesota Gas. The 2021 service quality report for MERC will be accepted upon the utility’s resolution of a Cold Weather Rule reporting error. The Commission also required MERC to begin reporting complaints due to wrongful disconnects starting with its 2023 service quality report and required Xcel to file a table with updated meter reading data that accounts for a reporting error described on page five of Xcel’s service quality report.

April 27, 2023 Decision

Application of Minnesota Power for authority to increase rates for electric service in Minnesota. Should the Commission reopen, reconsider, and/or clarify its February 28, 2023 Findings of Fact, Conclusions, and Order (21-335) The Commission denied several requests to reconsider decisions related to Minnesota Power’s recently concluded rate increase request. The Commission approved several requests to clarify some parts of the order explaining its decision. In the coming months, Minnesota Power will work to implement the final rates and provide interim rate refunds to some customers.

April 27, 2023 Action

The Commission’s Data Specialist Student Workers presented their data projects related to COVID investments impacts on diverse workforce and carbon emissions and annual update on distributed energy resources (DER) in Minnesota; as well as, Cold Weather Rule reporting, service disconnections, and rate-regulated utility timeframes for DER interconnections.

Other decisions

DOCKET	FILING OR DOCKET SUMMARY
22-606	The Commission approved the joint petition of the City of Buffalo and Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association to update electric service territory records.
22-626	The Commission approved the joint petition of the City of Redwood Falls and Redwood Electric Cooperative to update electric service territory records.
23-51	The Commission approved the joint request of the City of Luverne Municipal Utilities and Sioux Valley Energy to update electric service territory maps.
23-90	The Commission approved Otter Tail Power’s revised monthly bill redesign, in addition to its redesigned disconnection notice. The Commission also granted Otter Tail Power a Minn. Rule variance allowing them to use language above contact information on their monthly bill that is different than the language in the Rule.
22-229	The Commission accepted Great Plains’ evaluation report and approved the ongoing revenue sharing mechanism related to one large customer. However, the Commission denied Great Plains’ request to extend its decoupling pilot.

Notable New Dockets or Filings

You can search for a docket as well as subscribe to receive email notifications when new documents are added to a docket. Learn more on our eDockets webpage.

DOCKET	FILING OR DOCKET SUMMARY
22-504	Fourth prehearing order notes. Encore Energy Services and Super Large Gas Intervenors participated in mediation but are not anticipated to sign settlement agreement. Most parties have reached a settlement (not yet filed).
23-117	PUC filed a notice of schedule for the Commission investigation to establish gas Integrated Resource Plan filing requirements for Xcel Energy-Gas, CenterPoint Energy, and Minnesota Energy Resources Corp. Great Plains Institute filed a notice of monthly stakeholder meetings to complement/inform record development in the docket.
19-368; 22-266	Xcel filed Equity Stakeholder Advisory Group meeting 5 summary which focused on strategies to reduce energy burden for low-income and BIPOC customers and beginning to develop an issue statement for Equitable Access to Renewable Energy.
23-43	Heartland Corn Products submitted an application for a natural gas pipeline routing permit and partial exemption for a 7.78 mile long, pipeline to deliver gas at a rate of ~22m cubic ft/day primarily to the Company’s ethanol plant in Winthrop. The pipeline taps an existing Hutchinson Utilities gas transmission pipeline at a new interconnect station. Proposed to be in-service Nov. 1, 2023.
23-73; 74; -75; -76; -147	Xcel (23-73) SQ & SR, Minnesota Power (23-75), Otter Tail Power (23-76), and NW WEC (23-147) filed 2022 Service Quality, Safety and Reliability reports. Xcel’s filing included a link to their interactive service quality map.
13-867	Xcel filed the 2022 Annual Solar*Rewards Community (CSG) report. 864 MW of CSG as of Dec 31, 2022 – 34 MW of this total (37 projects) was added in 2022. There are 339 projects (314 MW) of applications in progress. About 22,000 Xcel customers subscribe to CSG. More info in the report – including counties with the most capacity, interconnection details, fees collected, program costs, etc.
21-331	Otter Tail Power filed updated IRP modeling – multiple filings. OTP is now recommending Coyote Station operate until 2040 (previously proposed 2028), changes considered include MISO seasonal construct, capacity requirements and projections for capacity deficit/recent volatility in energy markets, IRA, load forecast, & 100% carbon free law.
22-75	Great River Energy filed its IRP. See p. 12 for GRE’s preferred plan.
23-151	Commission Investigation into Implementing Changes to the Renewable Energy Standard and the newly created Carbon Free Standard under Minn. Stat. § 216B.1691. Notice issued on April 28.
23-119	Xcel Energy petition for its Long Duration Energy Storage System Pilot Project at Sherco site which includes acquisition of a 10 MW/1,000 MWh iron-air battery from Form Energy and recover costs under the Renewable Energy Standard Rider.

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.

Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
121 7th Place E, Suite 350 Saint Paul, MN 55101-2147

(651) 296-0406 | (800) 657-3782
consumer.puc@state.mn.us

Will Seuffert, Executive Secretary Will.seuffert@state.mn.us