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2024 State Energy Policy and Conservation Report
The Minnesota Department of Commerce, with input from other state agencies, organizations, and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, released the 2024 State Energy Policy and Conservation Report. The report is published every four years and documents the status and major emerging trends and issues in Minnesota’s energy supply, consumption, conservation, and costs. To view the 2024 report, click here.
Commission decisions
July 2
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The Commission accepted Integrated Distribution Plans from Xcel Energy, Minnesota Power, Otter Tail Power, and Dakota Electric Association, established requirements for the next IDPs, and created several workgroups to address ongoing issues. News Release. (Docket 23-420, 23-258, 23-380, 23-452)
July 11
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The Commission approved the service territory transfer between Xcel Energy and Janesville. (Docket 24-196)
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The Commission did not approve CenterPoint Energy’s Commodity Smoother proposal. The current gas cost true-up procedure in the Annual Automatic Adjustment mechanism remains in effect, under which the current year’s under/over recoveries are trued up with a fixed amount spread over the next twelve months. (Docket 24-150)
July 18
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The Commission approved a site permit for Xcel Energy’s Sherco Solar 3 project. The 250-MW solar facility in Clear Lake will replace much of the electricity produced by the coal-fired Sherco Generating Plant Unit 2 that ceased operations in 2023. The Sherco Solar projects fulfill a requirement included in Xcel Energy’s 2020-2034 Upper Midwest Integrated Resource Plan for the company to procure approximately 720 MW of solar generation. News release. (Docket 23-217)
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The Commission suspended the comment period on Xcel Energy’s capacity reservation and delegated authority to the Executive Secretary to manage comment periods moving forward. (Docket 24-176)
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Xcel agreed to submit a compliance filing summarizing the resolution of the issues after SunShare agreed to withdraw their co-location appeal and an update on whether Xcel Energy’s timeframe recording for an interconnection step impacted any project’s eligibility. (Docket 13-867)
July 25
Public meetings and hearings
Mankato-Mississippi Transmission Project – The Commission and Minnesota Department of Commerce held six public information and environmental scoping meetings on Xcel Energy’s certificate of need and a route permit for the Mankato – Mississippi River Transmission Line Project. The proposed project is a new approximately 130-mile 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line between the existing Wilmarth Substation in Mankato to the Mississippi River near Kellogg and a new 20-mile 161 kV transmission line between the existing North Rochester Substation near Pine Island and an existing transmission line northeast of Rochester.
Iron Pine Solar Transmission Project – The Commission and the Minnesota Department of Commerce held two public information and environmental assessment scoping meetings on Iron Pine Solar Power’s application for a site permit and route permit. The proposed project will construct an up to 325-MW solar energy generating system and 230-kV transmission line in Pine County, Minnesota. Iron Pine proposes to connect the solar energy-generating system to the grid via an approximately 1-mile 230-kV transmission line from the project substation to a switchyard located at the point of interconnection with the Minnesota Power Arrowhead-Bear Creek 230-kV transmission line. The comment period is open until August 7.
Northland Reliability Project – The Commission held seven public hearings about the Northland Reliability project’s HVTL route permit and certificate of need applications. The proposed project is a 180-mile 345 kV transmission line from the Iron Range substation in Itasca County to the Sherco Substation in Sherburne County. The comment period is open until August 5, 2024.
Equity in Dockets – On July 30, the Commission heard updates about efforts to advance equity in utility regulation. The Commission’s DEI Coordinator reported about strategies the Commission has undertaken to more consistently and intentionally address equity issues in regulatory proceedings and highlighted recent outcomes. Department of Commerce staff presented key points from their recently published report summarizing data on workforce and supplier diversity submitted by utilities under a new legislative requirement. To view the presentation or watch a recording of the meeting, visit our website.
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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AUG 1
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10 AM
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Agenda meeting
- Otter Tail Power’s annual update to its Renewable Resource Cost Recovery Rider rate
- Minnesota Power’s request for a certificate of need and route permit for a high-voltage transmission line for the HVDC Modernization Project in Hermantown
- Reconsideration of Applicable Retail Rate to Value of Solar rate transition for Xcel Energy’s (Legacy) Community Solar Garden Program
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AUG 2
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9:30 AM
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Workgroup meeting - Grid and customer security Issues related to public display or access to electric distribution grid data
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AUG 8
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10 AM
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Agenda meeting
- Xcel Energy’s 2021 Integrated Distribution System Plan and the Resilient Minneapolis Project
- 2023 Gas Affordability Program reports for Xcel Energy, Great Plains Natural Gas Co., CenterPoint Energy, Minnesota Energy Resources Corp., Greater Minnesota Gas
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AUG 8
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1:30 PM
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Planning meeting – 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Tariffs
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AUG 15
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Canceled
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No agenda meeting
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AUG 20
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10 AM
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Planning meeting – Campaign Finance Board presentation on PUC lobbying rules
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AUG 20
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6 PM
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Public hearing – Summit Carbon Solutions Route Permit for Otter Tail to Wilkin Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Project in Otter Tail and Wilkin Counties (Fergus Falls)
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AUG 21
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6 PM
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Public meeting – Great River Energy Route Permit for the 115-kV Pilot Knob to Burnsville Rebuild and Upgrade Project (Burnsville)
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AUG 21
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6 PM
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Public hearing – Summit Carbon Solutions Route Permit for Otter Tail to Wilkin Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Project in Otter Tail and Wilkin Counties (Virtual)
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AUG 22
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10 AM
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Agenda meeting – Xcel Energy’s Hosting Capacity Analysis
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AUG 22
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12 PM
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Public meeting – Great River Energy Route Permit for the 115-kV Pilot Knob to Burnsville Rebuild and Upgrade Project (Virtual)
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AUG 27
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10 AM
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Planning meeting – Optional IRP discussion with Basin Electric Cooperative and Dairyland Power Cooperative
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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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24-198
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Minnesota Power (Allete) submitted the petition for acquisition by Canada Pensions Plan Investment Board and Global Infrastructure Partners, supporting a contested case proceeding with OAH and requesting a Commissioner Order by June 16, 2025.
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23-151
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Substantial comments were filed in the Carbon Free Standard docket around the definition of carbon-free resources and partial compliance with the standard among other topics.
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23-109
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OAH filed the ALJ Report which recommends PUC grant a route permit for Magellan’s Pipestone Reroute for Route Alternative 2 and include appropriate conditions in the permit.
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06-91
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PUC issued a Notice of Comment on a complaint by the City Administrator of Grand Meadow regarding the storage of decommissioned windmill blades from a 2020 Mower County Wind repowering project on an industrial park site.
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24-85
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Bandwidth IG, LLC filed an additional application for authority to provide telephone service local niche service provider of dark fiber services. The company constructs, operates, and maintains buried fiber optic cable underground conduit and “hands off” the cable to customers at an agreed upon demarcation point, typically a data center or other meet me room location where the customer has a presence. Customer discretion on use of the cables.
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24-229
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Otter Tail Power filed Notice of local review and approval of the proposed 115 kV Milbank Area Reliability Project in Minnesota and South Dakota (4 miles) in Lac qui Parle County.
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23-117
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Substantial comments were filed on clarification of filing requirements and dates for Xcel Energy, CenterPoint Energy, and Minnesota Energy Resources Corp. (MERC)’s first integrated resource plans.
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21-823
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Enbridge filed an update letter that on June 12, 2024, Enbridge established the Enbridge Line 93 Decommissioning Trust and identified Cresset Trust Company LLC, South Dakota as Trustee and Commissioner of Commerce as Trust Protector and Statement of Investment Policies and Procedures are agreed to for management/investment of the assets. Enbridge reports making its initial monthly contribution.
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21-630 et al.
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Xcel filed the 2023 Property Tax True Up Report, combined electric refund plan, and combined natural gas deferral plan which results in a $21.2 million electric refund and a $1.2m under collection for gas customers based on property tax recovery. In total, Xcel has a combined electric refund of $54.7m for electric customers or about $20/average residential electric customer and deferral of $1.1m for gas customers or $0.61 for avg. residential gas customer.
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24-248
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PUC opened a docket to receive compliance tariffs and establish the true-up process to implement 2024 legislation requiring the Commission to create and fill an interconnection ombudsperson position tasked with several duties including assisting with interconnection disputes between developers and utilities. The legislation created a funding mechanism by which interconnection applicants pay a $50 fee at the time of interconnection which is passed from the utility to the Commission. The Commission must review the amount of revenues collected from the surcharge each year and may adjust the level of the surcharge as necessary to ensure 1) sufficient money is available to support the position, and 2) the reserve in the account does not reach more than ten percent of the amount necessary to fully fund the position. The funding and position are applicable to public utilities. Notice forthcoming.
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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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