Yesterday, Governor Mark Dayton announced his appointment of Minnesota State Senator Katie Sieben to a six-year term on the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC). He also appointed current MPUC commissioner Nancy Lange as chair of the MPUC, filling the vacancy left by outgoing chair Beverly Jones Heydinger. Both Sieben and Lange will begin their terms
MPUC
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission Approves Some Changes to Community Solar Program, Declines Other Changes
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) approved several major changes to Xcel Energy’s Community Solar Garden (CSG) program yesterday, while also voting to maintain other aspects of the CSG program. Mike Hughlett of the Star Tribune has this report. The MPUC’s decisions are summarized below:
Bill Credit Rate
- Declined to modify the Applicable Retail
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Developer Requests Clarification of Minnesota PUC’s Community Solar Garden Order
Minnesota solar developer SolarStone Partners, LLC filed a Motion for Clarification of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s September 2014 Order Approving Solar-Garden Plan with Modifications. Specifically, SolarStone is requesting clarification of the Commission’s interpretation of the requirement in the Community Solar Garden Statute that a project must be located within the utility’s service territory. One…
Xcel Energy’s Community Solar Garden Tariff Final this Friday
*Update: Xcel has now filed its revised tariff (pdf)
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission published its Order (pdf) Tuesday approving Xcel Energy’s revised tariff for its Community Solar Garden Program contingent on certain changes being made. After Xcel Energy filed its tariff following programmatic changes made by the Commission earlier in the year, several…
Xcel Energy Reports 24 Community Solar Garden Projects are Beginning Construction
Xcel Energy filed its monthly report for the Community Solar Garden program with the Public Utilities Commission last week, revealing that 24 projects are moving to the beginning stages of construction.
Xcel also reports that, “after receiving over 600 applications in the surge to submit co-located projects, the pace has slowed considerably.” There are currently…
Citing Costs and Timing, PUC Denies Xcel Energy’s Request for Contested Case
During a public hearing yesterday, the Public Utilities Commission denied Xcel Energy’s request for a contested case hearing for the next stage of developing the Minnesota Community Solar Garden Program (the “CSG Program”). Instead, the PUC decided to proceed with the notice and comment process similar to the previously utilized process for the CSG Program.…
Xcel Delivers Final – For Now – Community Solar Garden Program Rules
Xcel filed its revised tariff for the Community Solar Garden Program yesterday, in compliance with and response to the Minnesota Public Utility Commission’s August 6, 2015 and October 15, 2015 orders. The revised tariff contains numerous changes to Xcel’s September 15, 2015 draft tariff proposal, a few of which are highlighted below.
- Xcel clarified
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MPUC Sets Community Solar Tariff Schedule and Clarifies Previous Order
On Thursday, October 15, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) released an order addressing several issues in the Community Solar Garden Program proceeding. The order requires Xcel to file compliance tariffs for the program within five days, and the MPUC will order that the tariffs become effective seven days after filing, “unless the Department or…
MN PUC Approves First Minnesota Multiyear Plan, But Work Remains on Implementation
Yesterday, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (the “Commission”) met to address the first general rate case filed under section 216B.16 subd. 19 of the Minnesota Statutes. Northern States Power Company, a Minnesota Corporation, d/b/a Xcel Energy submitted the multiyear rate petition on November 4, 2013. In that petition, Xcel Energy asked for an increase in…
To Need or Not to Need, that is the Question: MN PUC Answers in the Affirmative
On Monday, the MN PUC addressed whether ‘tis nobler in the pocketbook to suffer the slings and arrows of the MISO market or to invest in new generating units against a sea of uncertainty.
As we noted in prior blogs, the MN PUC initiated the competitive process seeking bids to meet a claimed capacity…