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NEWSLETTER - OCTOBER 2023 |
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Cold Weather Rule now in effect
As of October 1, Minnesota’s Cold Weather Rule is in effect. This means eligible residential energy customers are protected from service disconnection from October 1 through April 30, provided the disconnection would affect the customer’s primary heating source. Cold Weather Rule applies to all utilities, including cooperatives and municipal utilities. To avoid disconnection, customers who receive a notice of proposed disconnection should immediately contact the utility and set up a payment plan. Payment plans should take into consideration the household’s financial circumstances.
If you have questions, or need assistance reach out to your utility or contact the PUC’s Consumer Affairs Office at 800.657.3782 or email at consumer.puc@state.mn.us. The PUC has Spanish and Hmong language speakers on staff.
Commissioner Means appointed to NARUC’s new task force
Commissioner Valerie Means, along with PUC staff Dr. Tera Dornfeld, were recently appointed to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' (NARUC) new task force on gas planning. The Task Force on Evolving Gas Infrastructure Planning, made up of nearly 20 leaders and staff from across the country, was created to connect utility regulators with expertise, resources, and platforms to share information and develop their own refined visions for natural gas infrastructure planning processes that will help in navigating the shifting state and federal policy landscape over the coming decades.
Clean Energy Innovator Fellow begins two-year term at Commission
Austin Northagen started at the Commission in September as a Department of Energy Clean Energy Innovator Fellow. For the next two years, Austin’s work will focus on leading and supporting efforts across issues including resiliency and distributed energy resources. Austin earned a Juris Doctor from the University of St. Thomas School of Law in the spring of 2023 and interned at the Minnesota Citizens Utility Board, Nokomis Energy, and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
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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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DETAILS
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Oct 5
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10 AM
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Agenda meeting – Otter Tail Power variance approval for billing errors for Morris and Dawson-Boyd Schools; Xcel Energy’s 2021 Annual Safety, Reliability and Service Quality Report and Proposed System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAFI), System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI), and Customer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI) Reliability Standards for 2022; Route Permit for the Heartland Corn Natural Gas Pipeline Project in Sibley County; Application of Great River Energy and Minnesota Power for a Certificate of Need and Route Permit for an approximately 180-mile, double circuit 345-kV transmission in Itasca, Aitkin, Crow Wing, Morrison, Benton, and Sherburne Counties
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Oct 12
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10 AM
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Agenda meeting – Xcel’s multi-dwelling unit electric vehicle pilot program; Dept of Commerce request for specialized technical professional investigative services; Minor alteration to GRE’s simple cycle combustion turbine generator at Cambridge 2 Peaking Plant; Xcel’s petition for provision of service for large new customer data center project; Approval of Xcel’s Community Solar Garden Program; Commission investigation to identify and develop performance metrics for Xcel’s electric utility operations
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Oct 19
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10 AM
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Agenda meeting – RES implementation; Cedar Lake re-route
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Oct 26
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10 AM
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Agenda meeting – MERC rate case settlement; Xcel Payment Plan Credit Program; Line 3 Decommissioning Trust; Self Scheduling of Power Plants
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Oct 31
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10 AM
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Planning meeting – IRA/IIJA funding update
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Noteworthy decisions
Filings can be accessed using the docket number at: MN PUC eFiling Search
September 7
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Application of Great River Energy for a route permit to rebuild the existing 69 kV ST-WW transmission line to 115 kV in Stearns County (22-235) The Commission approved GRE’s St. Joseph Area 115 kV Transmission Line to rebuild 3.2 miles of the existing 69 kV line to 115 kV, upgrading GRE’s transmission system in the St. Cloud area to improve reliability and resiliency of the grid.
September 14
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Estimate of the Costs of Future Carbon Dioxide Regulation on Electricity Generation Under Minnesota Statutes § 216H.06 (07-1199) The Commission increased the cost range for the regulatory cost of carbon from $5-$25/ton to $5-$75/ton and adjusted the modeling timeline for the regulatory costs to take effect in 2028 instead of 2025. The Commission also updated a previous order to provisionally adopt and apply the EPA’s draft greenhouse gas emission values and gave authority to the Executive Secretary to reopen Docket No. E999/CI-14-643 (externality values) as needed.
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Xcel Energy’s authority to increase rates for electric service, should the Commission reopen, reconsider, and/or clarify its July 17, 2023, Findings of Fact, Conclusions, and Order (21-630) The Commission declined to reconsider the order in the Xcel rate case, and excluded from the record new evidence filed by Xcel. The Commission did clarify that Xcel is allowed to waive credit card fees for customers beginning in 2024.
September 21
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Xcel Energy’s 2022 Solar Portfolio (22-403) The Commission approved the 100 MW Apple River Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and Xcel’s 250 MW Sherco Solar 3 project, both part of Xcel’s plan to replace coal-fired generation with renewables. News release
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Xcel Energy’s Petition for Approval of a Multi-Dwelling Unit Electric Vehicle Pilot Program (20-711) The Commission granted Xcel a budget increase of $3.9 million related to the Multi-Dwelling Unit EV Service Pilot, and instituted a cost cap on the pilot and required additional compliance filings.
Other decisions
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DOCKET
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DOCKET SUMMARY
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21-434
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The Commission denied the request by Nexus. The denial does not prohibit Nexus from applying for a change in financial assurance in the future.
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13-867
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The Commission took no action on the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association’s objection to Xcel’s Community Solar Garden Applicable Retail Rate tariff revision.
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23-08
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The Commission certified 113 eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) regarding their use of federal high-cost funds, certified LTD Broadband for CAF II funding purposes, expanded requirement for high-cost funding recipients to submit Performance Measure Testing, and directed each ETC serving tribal land to continue providing quarterly reports.
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Public meetings and hearings
MISO Quarterly Update: On September 22, MISO updated the Commission on 2023 Summer performance, market congestion and impact to ratepayers, and proposed reforms to load modifying resources. Updated included:
- MISO and Minnesota utilities performed well this summer through a heat dome and persistent hot temperatures across most of the MISO footprint. Minnesota utilities stated that Minnesota rate payers paid lower prices this summer compared to last summer.
- Minnesota utilities are actively working to relieve near-term congestion in Southwest Minnesota. Grid North Partners, a mix of 10 investor-owned and not-for-profit cooperative and municipal utilities in Minnesota and surrounding areas, announced that it is planning 19 projects to relieve Southwestern Minnesota congestion issues (Grid North press release forthcoming).
- Minnesota utilities identified areas of agreement and concern with MISO’s proposed tariff revisions for Load Modifying Resources (LMR) such as Demand Response. MISO kicked off the revision process in August and will continue to work with stakeholders to develop LMR accreditation changes with a goal to make a FERC Tariff filing in Q2 2024. Minnesota stakeholders are encouraged to voice their perspectives through MISO’s stakeholder process.
A recording of the meeting is available on the PUC website.
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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.
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DOCKET
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DOCKET OR FILING SUMMARY
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23-416, 23-415, 23-414
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Certificate of Need, Site and Route Permits for 230 kV gen-tie line for 325 MW Iron Pine Solar Power, LLC in Pine County. Awaiting Applications – Anticipated: Oct.
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23-410
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GRE Pilot Knob to Burnsville 115kV Transmission Rebuild. Awaiting Application – Anticipated: Sept.
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23-413, -412, -411
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Xcel-Gas 2024 Rate Case, Base Cost of Gas/Purchases, and Trade Secret Depository. Awaiting Rate Case Petition – Anticipated: Nov.
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23-403
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Investigation into Implementing the Distributed Solar Energy Standard. Notice of Comment issued. Reply due Dec. 15.
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23-424
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Formal Complaint by MN Solar Advocates Against Xcel Energy challenging the technical planning standard or limit (TPS/TPL). Notice of Comment issued. Reply due Oct. 27.
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21-611, 21-135
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MERC filed a proposal to refund residential customers approximately $540,000 based on the severe weather cost recovery (SWCR) sales and use tax exemption passed in law this year. Utilities have 60 days from PUC approval to refund or credit or they must return funds to Revenue (Law 2023, Ch. 64, Art. 5; Sec. 11)
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16-521
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Xcel Energy, Dakota Electric, Minnesota Power, and Otter Tail Power filed updated utility-specific Technical Specification Manuals (TSMs) per Commission Order. 30-day objection period before they can go into effect. These TSMs address full implementation of the statewide Technical Interconnection and Interoperability Requirements (TIIR) and utilizing advanced inverter functions.
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21-823
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Enbridge and Dept of Commerce reached a settlement on Aug 25, 2023, on trust agreement language, contribution timeline and initial contribution.
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23-335, 13-867
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Xcel filed a response and a petition with tariff changes to implement the legislative changes to the CSG program by December 31, 2023. Reply due Oct. 9.
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22-607, 22-611
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American Transmission Company (ATC) proposed an Arrowhead Alternative to Minnesota Power’s HVDC Modernization Project.
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Get involved in the PUC process
The 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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