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NEWSLETTER - DECEMBER 2023
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Chair Sieben appointed to national working group that addresses reliability
Chair Katie Sieben was appointed to a new National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) working group that addresses growing reliability-related challenges. The Gas-Electric Alignment for Reliability (GEAR) will convene a small group of state regulators and industry representatives to develop solutions to better align the gas and electric industries and improve the reliability of both energy systems. Safety and reliability are cornerstones of our mission, and we look forward to their recommendations. More information.
Sign up to receive project updates
We’ve created a new email list for key Commission projects and updates. We will use this list to periodically provide updates on upcoming public meetings, open comment periods and other engagement opportunities for noteworthy PUC projects and dockets. Click here to sign up for Key Commission Projects and Updates. (This does not replace the service list notifications.)
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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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Dec 7
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10 AM
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Agenda meeting: Completeness Review of Application by Minnesota Power for authority to increase rates; Completeness Review of Application of Northern States Power Company for authority to increase rates for natural gas service; Petition of Northern States Power company for approval of a new base gas cost for interim rates; Review of utility performance incentives for energy conservation
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Dec 8
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9:30 AM
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MISO quarterly update
Special planning meeting – Southwest Power Pool presentation on western expansion and seams issues
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Dec 11
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12 PM
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Public information and environmental scoping meeting (Lakeville) – Brookings County – Lyon County and Helena to Hampton 2nd Circuit Project
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Dec 11
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6 PM
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Public information and environmental scoping meeting (virtual) – Brookings County – Lyon County and Helena to Hampton 2nd Circuit Project
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Dec 12
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11 AM
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Public information and environmental scoping meeting– Certificate of need for Big Stone South— Alexandria—Big Oaks Transmission Project and route permit for Alexandria to Big Oaks 345 kV transmission project.
11 AM in Alexandria, 6 PM in Monticello.
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Dec 12
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6 PM
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Public information and environmental scoping meeting (Ortonville) – Brookings County – Lyon County and Helena to Hampton 2nd Circuit Project.
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Dec 13
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11 AM
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Public information and environmental scoping meeting– Certificate of need for Big Stone South— Alexandria—Big Oaks Transmission Project and route permit for Alexandria to Big Oaks 345 kV transmission project.
11 AM in Ortonville, 6 PM in Benson.
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Dec 14
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11 AM
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Public information and environmental scoping meeting– Certificate of need for Big Stone South— Alexandria—Big Oaks Transmission Project and route permit for Alexandria to Big Oaks 345 kV transmission project.
11 AM in St. Joseph, 6 PM virtual meeting.
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Dec 13-14
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Evidentiary hearings – Formal Complaint Against CenturyLink. Details forthcoming.
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Dec 14
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10 AM
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Agenda meeting: CenterPoint Energy for Authority to increase natural gas rates in
Minnesota; Establish a new base gas cost filing for interim rates in CenterPoint Energy’s general rate filing; Formal complaint and request for relief by the Minnesota Solar Advocates Against Xcel Energy for Technical Planning Standard
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Dec 19
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1 PM
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Public hearing (Kasson) – Dodge County Wind application for certificate of need, site and route permits for the up to 259 MW large wind energy conversion system and 161 kV transmission line in Dodge, Mower and Steele Counties.
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Dec 21
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10 AM
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Agenda meeting: Xcel rate case final rates; NGWG improvements and comparisons; 2022 Gas Service Quality Reports; Minnesota Energy Connection – Application Completeness
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Dec 20
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6 PM
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Public hearing (virtual) – Dodge County Wind application for certificate of need, site and route permit for the up to 259 MW large wind energy conversion system and 161 kV transmission line in Dodge, Mower and Steele Counties.
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Dec 20
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10 AM
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Power Plan Siting Act annual hearing
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Dec 25
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CLOSED
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Holiday - State offices closed
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Noteworthy decisions
Filings can be accessed using the docket number at: MN PUC eFiling Search
November 2
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Xcel Energy’s petition for approval of a development transfer resource acquisition process (23-342) – The Commission approved Xcel’s petition for a development transfer resource acquisition process, required that Xcel include economic modeling showing projected rate impacts of prospective bids and an explanation of potential ratepayer benefit from financing eligible projects through the DOE Loan Program Office’s Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment Financing program.
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Commission investigation to identify and develop performance metrics and, potentially, incentives for Xcel Energy’s electric utility operations (17-401) - The Commission suspended setting Performance-Based Ratemaking (PBR) baselines and targets until after April 30, 2026, and continued annual reporting on already-approved metrics.
November 9
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Application of Minnesota Power for a Certificate of Need for the HVDC Modernization Project in Hermantown, Saint Louis County (22-607) - The Commission identified the scope of the environmental assessment. Specifically, that Dept. of Commerce should include the project proposed by Minnesota Power—including Minnesota Power’s expanded route width, the alternative proposed by ATC and the suggestions proposed by the Dept. of Natural Resources. The Commission also referred the matter to the Office of Administrative Hearings for contested case proceedings, requesting that the ALJ produce his report by June 2024 and that the ALJ focus the proceedings on the viability of ATC’s alternative.
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2023 Legislative changes to Xcel Energy’s Community Solar Garden Program (23-335) – The Commission made decisions related to legislative changes to Xcel’s Community Solar Garden program, notably interpreting that an “approved” project for the Legacy Program is one that has a deemed complete application by Dec 31, 2023; requiring Xcel to offer consolidated billing no later than January 1, 2025; accepting Xcel’s proposal for defining billing assistance eligible customers to be exempt from certain CSG-related fuel clause costs; setting bill credits for the 2024 Non-Legacy CSG program administered by the Department; and determining that Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from the Non-Legacy Program are conveyed to Xcel at no additional cost.
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Request for a minor alteration to Great River Energy’s 170 MW, natural gas-fired, simple cycle combustion turbine generator at its Cambridge 2 peaking plant site (22-122) - Commission approved Great River Energy’s (GRE) proposed modifications to the Cambridge Station facility located in Isanti County, Minnesota. Currently, the peaking plant runs on natural gas, but with this approval it will be retrofitted to run on fuel oil as well. GRE anticipates the plant will run on diesel for 24 hours a year on average. News release
November 16
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Petition to initiate a proceeding to revoke the Expanded Eligible Telecommunications Carrier Designation of LTD Broadband, LLC and Deny LTD’s funding certification for 2023 (22-221) – The Commission suspended LTD’s ETC designation and sent the matter of revoking the designation back to the Office of Administrative Hearings. News release
November 30
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Application of Dooley’s Natural Gas II, LLC for a Route Permit for the Swift Pipeline Project in Chippewa, Kandiyohi, and Swift Counties (23-392) The Commission accepted the application of Dooley’s Natural Gas II, LLC for a pipeline route permit to construct a 28-mile natural gas pipeline in Chippewa, Kandiyohi, and Swift counties. The pipeline will transport gas from four renewable natural gas (RNG) processing facilities that will be constructed to process the dairy farm methane extracted from the Meadow Star Dairy, East Dublin Dairy, Swenoda Dairy, and Louriston Dairy farms to a delivery point into Alliance Transmission Pipeline gas system. The delivery point will include a compressor station that will compress the RNG generated by the processing facilities and inject it into the Alliance Transmission Pipeline. Construction is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2024, with a planned in-service date of August 2024.
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Minnesota Power’s, Otter Tail Power Company’s, and Xcel Energy’s 2022 Safety, Reliability, and Service Quality Metrics Reports (23-73, 23-75, 23-76) The Commission accepted the utilities safety, reliability, and service quality reports. The Commission set 2023 statewide reliability standards per Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers benchmarking. The Commission required Xcel to provide responses to the Commission’s Consumer Affairs Office (CAO) on new service installations within two business days, train the Xcel Advocacy team on how to work with CAO on new service installations, and require Xcel to report this information in its 2023 service quality report.
Other decisions
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DOCKET
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DOCKET SUMMARY
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23-181
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The Commission approved Otter Tail Power’s (OTP) 2024 FCA forecast and associated rates, based on forecasted sales of 5,750,224 MWh and the $150,076,693 in net system FCA/EAR, average cost $26.099 per MWh, subject to a subsequent true-up. The Commission also approve the OTP’s proposed customer notification, updated as applicable with the effective date and rates approved in the instant Petition.
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23-180
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The Commission approved Minnesota Power’s annual forecast of automatic adjustment charges for the period of January 2024 through December 2024.
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22-153
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The Commission approved Xcel Energy’s 2024 Fuel Clause Adjustment (FCA) forecast of 26,842,355 MWh and total system costs of $1,022,748,000.
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20-181
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The Commission approved changes to Otter Tail Power’s Electric Vehicle Direct Current Fast Charging Time-of-Day Pilot Rates.
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13-867
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The Commission denied US Solar’s petition for reconsideration regarding Xcel’s ARR tariff update compliance filing.
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23-49
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The Commission accepted Telephone Assistance Plan (TAP) Fund Review for the six-month period ending June 30, 2023. Maintained the current TAP surcharge at $.03 and current TAP credit and $10 per month.
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23-388
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The Commission postponed a decision on Dairyland Power Cooperative’s application to relocate an existing 161 kV transmission Line in Wabasha County until the December 7 meeting.
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21-335
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The Commission denied the Large Power Intervenor’s petition for reconsideration of the interim rate refund methodology for Minnesota Power’s electric service.
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Public meetings and hearings
Sherco 3 Solar – The week of November 6, the Department of Commerce and PUC held public meetings for the Sherco Solar 3 project, an up to 250MW Solar Generating System, in Sherburne County. The meetings helped inform the public on how to participate in the permitting process. It was also an opportunity for the public to ask the applicant questions, and to submit alternatives and comments. In total, there were two meetings with approximately 90 total attendees. The comment period ended on November 22, 2023.
Lake Wilson Solar – The week of November 25, the Department of Commerce and PUC held public hearings on the 150MW Lake Wilson Solar and Associated 95MWac Battery Storage project in Murray County. The purpose of the hearings and written comment period were to afford interested persons the opportunity to ask questions of the applicant and agency staff and to offer oral and written comments on the merits of the proposed project, on the environmental assessment, and on conditions to be considered for inclusion in a site permit. The comment period is open until December 11, 2023.
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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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13-867
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At the request of the Department of Commerce, PUC issued a notice of extension on comments on whether to switch Applicable Retail Rate (ARR) era Community Solar Gardens (CSG) to an appropriate Value of Solar (VOS) rate. According to Xcel’s 2022 CSG Annual Report approximately 20,000 subscribers and 742 CSG are on an ARR rate which is updated annually. The VOS rate was established in 2017 and has a 25-year schedule for each “vintage” with a new “vintage” established annually. Comments are now due by January 22, 2024.
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23-489
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MERC filed a petition to establish a Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Interconnection Tariff
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23-488
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ITC Midwest LLC filed a request for Minor Alteration associated with ITC Midwest’s Hayward Substation Expansion Project in Freeborn County
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23-476
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Xcel Energy filed a proposal for the Low Income, Low Usage affordability program approved in the Company’s recent electric rate case.
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22-179
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Xcel filed its 2nd rate adjustment in the 2023 fuel forecast to reduce by $5 million per month beginning Jan. 1, 2024. On March 1, 2024, Xcel will file a true-up and refund plan for the full 2023 year but has proposed to expedite these refunds in the meantime. These refunds/reductions go into effect unless there is an objection.
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23-487
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Great Plains Natural Gas filed notice of its refund plan to return pipeline refunds (over $5) from NNG to the Company’s Minnesota customers based on each customer’s actual usage for Jan-Apr 2023 and requests a rule variance. GPNG proposes bill credit refunds to customers totaling $1,182,100.18.
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23-410
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Great River Energy (GRE) filed the route permit application for the Pilot Knob to Burnsville 115 kV transmission line rebuild and upgrade in Dakota County. GRE estimates total cost of $32.8 million. The proposed project is less than 10 miles, so GRE states no CN is needed under statute.
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23-403
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Utilities filed initial responses on the legislatively created Distributed Solar Energy Standard (DSES). Minnesota Power preliminary estimates 50-75 MW nameplate capacity required. Otter Tail Power prelim estimate is 15 MW. Xcel did not estimate the DSES nameplate capacity need in this filing, but the Company’s Integrated Distribution Plan estimated it at 500 MW.
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21-33
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Minnesota Power filed a letter of the up to 300 MW solar Request for Proposals (RFP) the Company launched on 11/15. The Company’s news release said proposals will be accepted through Jan 5, 2024, and another RFP for up to 400 MW of wind will be released “in the coming weeks”.
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22-132
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Xcel Energy filed the route permit application for the Minnesota Energy Connection.
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23-155
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Minnesota Power rate case requests a $89.1 million increase (net of rider roll-ins) with and interim increase of $63.8 million.
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23-413
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Xcel Energy - Gas rate case requests a $59.03 million increase with an interim increase of $51.2 million.
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23-172
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CenterPoint petition is a multi-year rate plan requesting an $84.6 million increase for 2024 with an incremental 2025 increase of $51.8 million ($136.4 million total). The 2024 interim increase is $68.7 million with an incremental 2025 increase of $33.2 million ($101.9 million total).
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23-467
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Xcel filed its 2023-2024 Transmission Cost Recovery Rider petition with "revenue requirements of approximately $63m and the corresponding TCR adjustment factors. This is a decrease of $42m compared to the 2022 revenue requirement of approximately $104.5m and covers hosting capacity analysis, costs from approved distribution grid modernization projects, and a true up of costs associated with approved transmission projects.” Xcel would like to provisionally implement Jan. 1, 2024, with final base rates in Xcel rate case (21-630).
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Various
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Rate-regulated utilities filed their biennial Integrated Distribution Plans with Transportation Electrification Plans:
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23-380
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Otter Tail Power IDP
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23-452
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Xcel Energy IDP
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23-420
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Dakota Electric IDP
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23-258
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Minnesota Power IDP
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23-205
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Timberwolf Solar LLC filed a site permit application for up to 100 MW solar facility located in Mower County, MN under the alternative permitting procedures.
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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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