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Commission releases strategic plan
The PUC’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan is available on our website. Over the past several months we engaged stakeholders, staff, commissioners, and the public in developing our strategic plan. This input helped guide the development of the priority areas, strategies, and action steps to meet the constantly changing requirements of an industry in transition. We have updated our mission and guiding principles to reflect the current and ongoing needs of the agency and have taken a holistic view of agency operations and goals, including workplace considerations, regulatory issues, technology, efficiency improvements, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Minnesota hosting MARC 2024
Minnesota is hosting the Mid-America Regulatory Conference (MARC) 2024 Conference in Minneapolis June 9-12, 2024. The theme of this year’s conference is Cooperation and Innovation. FERC Commissioner Allison Clements and Allete CEO Bethany Owen are featured on the opening panel moderated by Chair Katie Sieben. If you are interested in attending or learning more, visit the conference website.
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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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May 1
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1:30 PM
6:30 PM
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Public Hearing: Xcel Energy Gas Rate Case
Location: St. Paul (1:30 PM) and Virtual (6:30 PM)
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May 2
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10 AM
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Agenda Meeting: Dodge County Wind application for a Certificate of Need, Site Permit, and a Route Permit for the up to 259 MW large wind energy conversion system and associated 161 kV transmission line in Dodge, Mower, and Steele Counties; Implementation of the New Distributed Solar Energy Standard; Minnesota Energy Connection - route alternatives
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May 2
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6:30 PM
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Public Hearing: Xcel Energy Gas Rate Case (Rosemount)
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May 7
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1:30 PM
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Public Hearing: Xcel Energy Gas Rate Case (Blaine)
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May 7
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6 PM
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Public Hearing: Sherco Solar 3 Project (Virtual)
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May 8
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1:30 PM
6:30 PM
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Public Hearing: Xcel Energy Gas Rate Case
Location: Virtual (1:30 PM) and Woodbury (6:30 PM)
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May 9
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10 AM
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Agenda Meeting: Consumer Affairs Subcommittee Proposal; Great River Energy for a Route Permit for the reroute of the 115-kV Cedar Lake Transmission Line Project in Scott and Rice Counties
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May 9
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6 PM
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Public Hearing: Sherco Solar 3 Project (Becker)
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May 9
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6:30 PM
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Public Hearing: Xcel Energy Gas Rate Case (Red Wing)
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May 16
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10 AM
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Agenda Meeting: 345kV 2nd Circuit Project Brookings - Lyon and Hampton; Dooley RNG Pipeline; Elk Creek Solar permit amendment; Biennial transmission reporting; Service Agreement - City of Austin and Freeborn Mower Cooperative
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May 16
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2 PM
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Planning Meeting: Gas price spike annual filings
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May 20
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1 PM
7 PM
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Public Hearings: Minnesota Power Rate Case
Little Falls (1 PM); Cohasset (7 PM)
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May 21
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10 AM
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Planning Meeting: Wildfire risk mitigation
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May 21
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Multiple
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Public Hearings: Minnesota Power Rate Case
Locations: Eveleth (10 AM); Hermantown (2 PM); Cloquet (7 PM)
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May 22
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10 AM
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Public Hearings: Minnesota Power Rate Case (virtual)
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May 27
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Closed
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Holiday – office closed
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May 28
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10 AM
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Agenda Meeting – Otter Tail Power IRP (oral arguments)
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May 30
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10 AM
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Agenda Meeting – Otter Tail Power IRP; Application completeness Mankato – Mississippi Transmission Project
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Commission decisions
April 4
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The Commission approved MERC’s Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Interconnection petition, determining the pricing structure and reporting requirements. Staff will open a docket/comment period to standardize reporting requirements for all utilities allowing RNG interconnection. (Docket 23-489)
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The Commission approved changes to Xcel’s tariff governing the new Non-Legacy Community Solar Garden program regarding application fees, bill credits, interconnection queue position, Xcel’s interconnection application portal, and requiring development of a standard contract. (Docket 23-335)
April 11
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The Commission approved Q Link’s ETC designation and required Q Link to submit annual reporting on all criminal, civil, and administrative actions against Q Link or its affiliates related to telecommunications, fraud, or misrepresentation associated with any government funding program. (Docket 23-383)
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The Commission heard an objection relating to how capacity is defined for net metering rate eligibility in Dakota Electric’s Technical Specifications Manual (TSM). The Commission agreed that rate eligibility considerations do not belong within the TSM, which governs reliability standards and procedures for interconnecting distributed energy resources to the utility distribution system and removed the relevant sentence. The Commission will open a separate proceeding to further consider how capacity should be defined for rate eligibility purposes. (Docket 18-711)
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The Commission approved Xcel Energy’s petition for 2022 Multi-Year Rate Plan True-Ups and Combined Refund Plan to Minnesota electric customers. The Commission also approved the 3.83% interest rate be applied to the Department of Energy's fourteenth settlement payment, and prime interest rate to be applied to the Property Tax, Capital, Net Operating Loss, Annual Incentive Compensation refunds. (Dockets 10-971; 20-743; 21-630; 92-1185; 92-1186; 21-678; 22-254; 23-468; 21-815; 15-1089)
April 18
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The Commission denied Minnesota Solar Advocates’ petition for reconsideration on the Order denying their request for relief on Xcel’s Technical Planning Standard. (Docket 23-424)
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The Commission found Xcel Energy’s application for additional spent nuclear fuel storage at the Prairie Island Nuclear Generation Plant complete. The Commission determined a contested case proceeding is the best option to examine project issues. (Docket 24-68)
April 25
Public meetings and hearings
Brookings County to Lyon County and Helena to Hampton Second-Circuit Project Public hearings for the CapX2020 Brookings to Hampton 2nd circuit project and minor alteration were held on April 1 and 4, 2024. Attendees shared land concerns for specific properties, inquired about the need of the project, and location of the proposed project structures.
Magellan Pipeline Reroute Project – Three hearings were held on the Magellan Pipeline Reroute project. Comments from the public included potential contamination of watersheds near Pipestone National Monument, insufficient tribal consultation, and critiques of the Comprehensive Environmental Assessment. Written comments are accepted through May 8, 2024 (Notice).
Prairie Island Spent Fuel Storage (EIS scoping) – The Department of Commerce, Energy Environmental Review and Analysis (EERA) held two public meetings to develop the scope for the environmental impact statement for Xcel’s application to store additional spent nuclear fuel at its Prairie Island Nuclear Plant. Questions and concerns focused on the project's impacts on human health and the costs associated with long-term spent fuel storage. Written comments are accepted through May 9, 2024. More information available here.
MISO Quarterly Update – On April 5, the Commission held a MISO Quarterly Update meeting focused on MISO’s Long Range Transmission Planning initiative. MISO noted that among the Tranche 1 portfolio of projects, the lines sited in Minnesota are furthest ahead in the regulatory approval process. Minnesota utilities discussed whether MISO’s initial Tranche 2 portfolio is sufficient to serve Minnesota’s future load growth. On April 5, the Commission also held a Special Planning Meeting focused on Interregional Transfer Capability.
The Commission’s will hold the next MISO Quarterly Update meeting on June 4 with a focus on utility summer readiness.
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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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24-173
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Xcel Energy filed a petition for a 2-year pilot Automatic Bill Credit for all households in specific census block groups (CBG) identified as having energy burden (exceeds 4% of median household income). The annual bill credit per customer would vary by CBG, averaging approximately $458 a year. The estimated annual cost of bill credits is about $5.4 million. The proposal is to fund the bill credit with money from the annual refunds received from Department of Energy as part of the settlement for nuclear waste storage. The petition was developed with the Equity Stakeholder Advisory Group.
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21-339
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Otter Tail Power Integrated Resource Plan – Department, the Company, and labor reached a settlement.
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00-1343, 01-1127
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The MN Pollution Control Agency filed their updated emission rates and contribution of coal plants to state emissions, finding coal-fired power plants in Minnesota generate 34% of all SO2 pollution, 17% of all CO2 pollution, 7.5% of all mercury pollution, and 4.7% of all NOx pollution.
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23-155
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ALJ announced prehearing conference to discuss an all parties, all issues global settlement of Minnesota Power’s rate case. The ALJ’s fourth prehearing order set schedule for public meetings (May 20-22), public comments (May 30), proposed findings (July 8), ALJ Report (Sep 3), Exceptions to the ALJ Report (Sep 18). A Commission Order is expected on or before December 2.
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22-532, 23-157
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Xcel filed initial application for CN and Route Permit for the Mankato – Mississippi River Transmission Project (the Project). The Project consists of a new, ~130-mile 345kV transmission line between the Wilmarth Substation in Mankato and the Mississippi River and a new, approximately 20-mile 161 kV transmission line between the North Rochester Substation near Pine Island and an existing transmission line northeast of Rochester. EERA recommends accepting the route permit as substantially complete with the submission of additional documents and recommends a joint CN and route permit proceeding with no action on an advisory taskforce. Department recommends finding the CN application complete. Legalectric stated the application is incomplete because it doesn’t identify all homesteads and other buildings and energy infrastructure within area, cumulative impacts of energy projects in area, among other concerns. MISO filed comments in support of an informal process for the joint application and identified the project as part of MISO MTEP LRTP 1 Tranche.
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24-31
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Xcel filed a letter update on a billing error related to the gas meter module replacement program. The impacted meters were validated, and all impacted customers received credit holds on their accounts. Xcel credited $336,294 in overcharged revenues (including overcharges during interim rates), interest, and late payment fees to 643 customers. Xcel added training for field staff to avoid future errors. Xcel sent letters and worked with CAO.
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22-451
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Enbridge Solar (Plummer), LLC (Plummer Solar) filed site permit application, and an independent power producer (IPP), to construct and operate an up to 130 MWac solar-PV energy generating facility and associated facilities in Emardville Township in Red Lake County to interconnection with Otter Tail Power’s 115 kV transmission line and is near a pumping station. Project will deliver to MISO and sell power via PPAs, Virtual PPA, or other contractual arrangement.
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13-867
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Xcel filed annual report noting Legacy CSG program now has about 900 MWAC of connected solar capacity with around 34,000 Xcel Energy customer subscriptions to over 490 sites. Currently, an additional 423 sites for 388 MW are in the pipeline… Nearly 86 MW of projects were in design and construction, while there was an incremental increase of 36 MW of new operational CSGs in 2023… The total cost of electricity generated from CSGs in 2023 was approximately $135/MWh… Of 12 written notices of disputes, five were resolved and closed.
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24-170
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Great Plains Natural Gas filed a Gas Utility Infrastructure Cost (GUIC) Rider petition for $1.48m in proposed recovery with rate changes that vary by class from a reduction (grain drying) to more than doubling (residential). The proposal addresses under-recovery in 2023 and costs primarily associated with the Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP).
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24-175
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Midcontinent Communications (Midco) filed a notice of expansion petition seeking to amend Midco’s certificate of authority to expand facilities-based and interexchange service in the Babbitt and Tower exchanges.
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23-205
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Timberwolf Solar LLC withdrew its application due to site control issues.
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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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