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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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April 1
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10 AM
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Planning meeting – Copper theft and telecommunication services in Twin Cities.
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April 1
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6 PM
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Public hearing – Gopher State Solar site permit for an up to 200 MW photovoltaic solar energy generating system in Renville County. (Virtual)
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April 1-3
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9 AM – 5 PM
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Evidentiary Hearings – Proposed acquisition of ALLETE, Minnesota Power’s parent company, by CPP Investments and GIP. The hearings are the next regulatory step in the proposed acquisition.
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April 3
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10 AM
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Agenda meeting
- Transfer of territory from East Central Energy to Princeton Public Utilities
- Minnesota Power’s 2025-2039 Integrated Resource Plan – procedural steps
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April 7
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10 AM
6 PM
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Public hearing – Proposed acquisition of ALLETE, Minnesota Power’s parent company, by CPP Investments and GIP. The hearings are the next regulatory step in the proposed acquisition.
10 AM – Cloquet, 6 PM - Duluth
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April 7
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6 PM
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Public meeting and environmental scoping meeting– Midwater BESS site and route permits for the up to 150 MW Midwater Energy Storage Project and Associated 161 kV Transmission Line in Freeborn County. (Glenville)
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April 8
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10 AM
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Planning meeting – Renewable Natural Gas
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April 8
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12 PM
5 PM
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Public hearing – Proposed acquisition of ALLETE, Minnesota Power’s parent company, by CPP Investments and GIP. The hearings are the next regulatory step in the proposed acquisition.
12 PM – Eveleth, 5 PM - Cohasset
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April 10
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10 AM
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Agenda meeting
- Otter Tail Power and Western Municipal Power Agency route permit for the Big Stone South to Alexandria 345- kV Transmission Project – route alternatives
- Xcel Energy for a Certificate of Need and route permit for the Minnesota Energy Connection Project – final decision
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April 10
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6 PM
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Public hearing – Proposed acquisition of ALLETE, Minnesota Power’s parent company, by CPP Investments and GIP. The hearings are the next regulatory step in the proposed acquisition. (virtual)
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April 11
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12 PM
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Public hearing – Proposed acquisition of ALLETE, Minnesota Power’s parent company, by CPP Investments and GIP. The hearings are the next regulatory step in the proposed acquisition. (Little Falls)
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April 17
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10 AM
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Agenda meeting
- Recovery Process for cost impacts due to February 2021 extreme gas market conditions for CenterPoint Energy Gas, Great Plaints Natural Gas, Xcel Energy and Minnesota Energy Resources Corp. – annual compliance
- Summit Carbon Solutions route permit for the Otter Tail to Wilkin Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Project – reconsideration request
- Otter Tail Power's petition for approval of the Solway and Abercrombie Solar Projects and exemption from Certificate of Need for the 50 MW Solway Solar Project
- Complaint and Petition for Relief by SunShare LLC against Xcel Energy regarding settlement agreements
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April 22
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10 AM
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Planning meeting – Clean Energy Businesses
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April 24
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10 AM
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Agenda meeting
- Otter Tail Power Transmission Cost Recovery
- Minnesota Power's petition to run Regal Solar Project through Renewable Resources Rider
- Minnesota Power's Petition to run Boswell Solar through Renewable Resources Rider
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Commission decisions
March 6
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The Commission approved the service area transfer between MiEnergy Cooperative and the City of Whalen (Docket 24-428)
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The Commission suspended Xcel’s General Service Time-of-Use rate pilot and required the Company to develop a partial transition plan to a default General Service TOU rate filed by March 31, 2026. The filing must include a detailed customer outreach and marketing plan. (Docket 20-86)
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The Commission approved Xcel’s proposal for an updated Residential Time of Use rate with modifications. The new rate will be voluntary (opt-in) with an on-peak period from 6-9pm and launched in 2026. Xcel will file implementation plans within 90 days of the Order and reexamine how implementing the new rate will impact net energy metering and EV customers. (Docket 23-524)
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The Commission approved a site permit for the Plummer (Enbridge) Solar, LLC Project in Plummer, Minnesota for an up to 130 MW solar facility. The project anticipates beginning construction in 2026 and going into service by 2027. (Docket 22-451)
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The Commission required the Minnesota Transmission Owners (MTO) (an association of 14 investor-owned, municipal and cooperative utilities that own and operate high voltage transmission lines throughout the State of Minnesota) to include a cost-benefit analysis in their 2025 Biennial Transmission Projects Report that compares any feasible battery storage solution to status quo conditions and to its performance under planned grid upgrades at the Nobles County Substation area. The Commission also directed the MTO to include an update of the Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECS or wind farms) curtailment and economic impact data. (Docket 24-316)
March 20
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The Commission found that several small utilities did not meet the Eligible Energy Technology Standard (formerly RES) for reporting year 2023, but required additional discussions between those utilities, their electricity providers, and the Department to help with future compliance. The Commission also delayed a final decision on Otter Tail Power’s failure to meet its Solar Energy Standard requirement, as the Company is implementing a Commission-approved plan to get back into compliance. (Docket 24012, 02-1240)
March 27
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The Commission heard its first appeal under the new consumer complaint appeal process. The complaint concerned CenterPoint Energy’s practices of charging for appliance sales and Home Service Plus plans—which are not regulated by the Commission—on the same bill as regulated gas utility service, as well as CenterPoint’s practice of applying customers’ combined payments toward past-due charges for unregulated offerings before certain charges for utility service. The Commission ordered CenterPoint to separate its billing for regulated and unregulated business, required CenterPoint to include certain disclosures and explanations on bills, on the Company’s website, and in other communications, and required CenterPoint to take steps to stop marketing its unregulated products and services to customers who have past-due gas bills. (Docket 24-191)
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The Commission ordered Xcel Energy to refund approximately $48 million in costs related to the catastrophic failure of the Sherco 3 turbine in 2011. The refund will appear on customer's April bills and is estimated to be approximately $12 for a typical residential customer. (Dockets 12-961, et al)
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The Commission denied the petition for reconsideration on the net metering capacity definition rulemaking process. (Docket 24-200)
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Recaps of Commission meetings and hearings
Project meetings
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Northern Crescent Solar – On March 4-5, the PUC held in-person and virtual public hearings and took public comment on the proposed Northern Crescent Solar Project. The proposed project is for an up to 150 megawatt alternating current (MWac) solar energy generating system and a 50 MWac battery energy storage system (BESS) in Faribault County. The project also includes a substation and interconnection facilities.
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Birch Coulee Solar – On March 11-12, the PUC held in-person and virtual public hearings and took public comment on the site permit for the Birch Coulee Solar Project. The proposed project is for an up to 125-MW alternating current photovoltaic solar energy generating facility in Renville County.
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Appleton to Benson 115 kV Transmission Line Project – On March 12-13 the PUC and the Department of Commerce held in-person and virtual public information meetings and took public comment on the proposal to construct approximately 29 miles of new 115-kV high voltage transmission line by Great River Energy, Otter Tail Power Company, Western Municipal Power Agency (Missouri River Energy Services), Agralite Electric Cooperative, and the City of Benson.
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Great Minnesota Gas rate case – On March 18-20, the Administrative Law Judge held in-person and virtual public hearings and took public comment on Greater Minnesota Gas Inc. for the authority to increase natural gas rates in Minnesota.
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Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant’s additional dry cask storage – On March 24-25, the PUC held in-person and virtual public hearings on Xcel Energy’s application for additional dry cask storage at the existing Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Spent Fuel Storage Installation. The project would allow the construction of up to two pads within the current ISFSI to store a projected 34 additional dry fuel storage systems on the existing 5.5-acre fuel storage footprint. Public comment is open until April 10.
Stakeholder meetings
On March 21, MISO and Minnesota utilities discussed winter operations and Long Range Transmission Planning (LRTP). MISO highlighted operational improvements to adapt for extreme weather and variable renewables. The utilities reported that winter operations were smooth despite multiple cold weather events. Wholesale electricity prices were slightly higher than last year with a return to more typical winter conditions. MISO shared updates on the progress of projects in the LRTP Tranche 1 portfolio, which are in various stages of permitting and Commission proceedings throughout the MISO footprint and gave an overview of Tranche 2.1 and updates to its models. The utilities explained that they will apply lessons learned from Tranche 1 to outreach for their Tranche 2.1 projects and discussed steps they are taking to mitigate uncertainty in supply chains.
Notable new dockets or filings
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DOCKET
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DOCKET OR FILING SUMMARY
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23-151
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Utilities and stakeholders filed extensive comments debating Carbon Free Standard compliance details including hourly versus annual tracking, treatment of credits that track attributes like renewable energy or carbon free, what to require in utility integrated resource planning and reporting, among other issues.
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25-145
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Xcel filed a request for an exemption to some information requirements for a Certificate of Need (CN) for the Lyon County natural gas plant following the Commission’s approval of the Company’s IRP in 24-67. The project involves a CN, site permit, route permit for a transmission line, and a Route Permit for a natural gas pipeline. The application(s) is expected in early- to mid-May.
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24-432
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Xcel filed its Peak Time Rebate proposal on Mar 17 as required by the Commission’s Dec 30, 2024, Order in Xcel’s rate case. Xcel seeks approval to file the proposal in the Company’s ECO portfolio, preferring that procedural pathway because, according to Xcel, 1) ECO statute allows this type of program, 2) its consistent other demand response programs, and 3) it has a clearer pathway for cost recovery.
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24-320
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Xcel filed supplemental direct testimony on multiple issues for their rate case. On wildfire risk management, the Company updated its 2025-2026 budget by reducing O&M ($-52.9m) and increasing capital expenditures (+$101.3m) based on the completion of an operationalized wildfire risk map and stated if the Company still receives the $1.8m from the federal GRIP grant that would be refunded to customers. The Company provided further details on the changes to the wildfire risk management budget in Distribution supplemental testimony.
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25-97
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Electric and gas utilities filed their annual diversity report administered by the Department of Commerce and required under Minn. Stat. § 215C.51.
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25-142, 23-452, et al.
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Xcel will host stakeholder workgroup on planned net loading – “a distribution system planning concept that utility planners use to analyze the distribution system to ensure it can meet current and future customer needs. The Company expects three workshops on the topic: April 17, May 8 and June 5. Xcel will also host stakeholder workgroups on cost benefit analysis for program-level distribution investments for discretionary projects: April 17 and May 8. Xcel filed an update on Enel X shutting down North American EV charging operations noting Xcel has successfully replaced Enel X stations with ChargePoint for EV Accelerate at Home customers and is working on a solution for MDU customers, now that VoltiE has acquired all EnelX charging equipment users, to replace equipment at no cost to the customers (205 ports for less than $300k).
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22-532
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Legalectric filed comments on the Mankato-Mississippi Transmission Route (Wilmarth-N Rochester-Tremval) Certificate of Need (CN) arguing against need and against exemptions from the CN data and point to data to argue Xcel’s demand is not rising, system line losses, overstated forecasts, cost recovery through MISO footprint, and offers alternatives to study including no-build and system and route alternatives. Joint Commenters support granting the CN. Xcel replied offering details on need and system alternatives analysis and recommends granting CN. Department recommends considering the EIS and if impacts are acceptable approve the CN. MISO commented describing the benefits of the Mankato-Mississippi River Txn Project and MISO’s transmission planning process.
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24-263,-264
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GRE et al Appleton to Benson 115kV Txn Line: MN DOT filed comments re: pole placement, unique areas of ROW, permits may be required, consultation (including pole-by-pole analysis) will be needed, avoid late-stage modifications. MN DOT notes: “In 2024, MnDOT issued 1,490 Utility Accommodation on Trunk Highway Right of Way permits for various utility installations within TH ROW, include MN DOT district specialist in pre-construction meetings. This number does not include Miscellaneous, Access, Drainage and various other permit types.” DNR commented on rare resources: Natural Heritage for endangered species (e.g. Blanding’s turtles), public waters licenses will be required in multiple locations, avian flight diverters, trails, vegetation removal, facility lighting, dust control, wildlife-friendly erosion control, water appropriation.
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23-160
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For the Big Stone S to Alexandria 345kV transmission route permit, EERA filed scoping summary comments and recommendations: to prepare an EIS looking at applicants’ six proposed routes, three route connectors, and four route segment alternatives, and 20 additional routing alternatives proposed by the public. Morris-Hancock-Glenwood Area Landowners filed a petition for intervention representing 20+ area landowners and/or irrigation farm-owners potentially affected.
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25-176
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Metro Fibernet LLC intends to discontinue certain telecom services (resold plain old telephone services and DSL services effective May 22 and May 15, 2025, respectively) provided over leased copper loops which will affect approx. 300 customers. The Company is not surrendering its Certificates. Customers were notified in March.
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24-320
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CenturyLink provided an update on copper theft outage repairs noting due to complicated work is making predicting how long a repair will take difficult and unforeseen obstacles arise frequently. Example: Market Exchange in St. Paul is now expected to be completely restored by end of March (instead of mid-March). CenturyLink also estimates it will take 5 weeks to issue credits to existing voice customers noting if a customer is currently out of service, they will receive credits through end of February and will receive credit once restoration is complete. They will issue refunds to disconnected voice customers after existing customers which will take another 2 weeks. The Company will waive late fees applied to customers who did not pay their bills while they were not receiving service. CenturyLink also confirmed the Company will file the 6-month progress report required on May 25, 2025.
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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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