Walker Orenstein
@walkerorenstein.bsky.social
Reporter for the Star Tribune covering energy. From St. Paul, but a Washington Husky. Email: walker.orenstein@startribune.com
With gas it can often be somewhat bland capital projects, here's the short version from Xcel in a couple of screencaps but link for more detailed info. efiling.web.commerce.state.mn.us/documents/%7...
They say they shouldn't have similar capital needs in the next few years after this
They say they shouldn't have similar capital needs in the next few years after this
October 31, 2025 at 8:14 PM
With gas it can often be somewhat bland capital projects, here's the short version from Xcel in a couple of screencaps but link for more detailed info. efiling.web.commerce.state.mn.us/documents/%7...
They say they shouldn't have similar capital needs in the next few years after this
They say they shouldn't have similar capital needs in the next few years after this
Otter Tail Power is asking state regulators to approve a 17.7% rate increase for its customers, which would cost the average household nearly $218 per year.
Below is the company press release with the reasons for the hike, such as ending electricity supply from a coal plant:
Below is the company press release with the reasons for the hike, such as ending electricity supply from a coal plant:
October 31, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Otter Tail Power is asking state regulators to approve a 17.7% rate increase for its customers, which would cost the average household nearly $218 per year.
Below is the company press release with the reasons for the hike, such as ending electricity supply from a coal plant:
Below is the company press release with the reasons for the hike, such as ending electricity supply from a coal plant:
At the same time, the average Xcel customer past due on their bill owed $270 in 2019. That figure was nearly double between 2021 and 2024.
www.startribune.com/xcel-is-cutt...
www.startribune.com/xcel-is-cutt...
September 18, 2025 at 5:21 PM
At the same time, the average Xcel customer past due on their bill owed $270 in 2019. That figure was nearly double between 2021 and 2024.
www.startribune.com/xcel-is-cutt...
www.startribune.com/xcel-is-cutt...
Xcel Energy disconnected 52,549 Minnesota households from electricity or gas last year.
That is more than triple the number from 2019, the year before the pandemic moratorium began. It’s far more than any year in at least a decade: www.startribune.com/xcel-is-cutt...
That is more than triple the number from 2019, the year before the pandemic moratorium began. It’s far more than any year in at least a decade: www.startribune.com/xcel-is-cutt...
September 18, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Xcel Energy disconnected 52,549 Minnesota households from electricity or gas last year.
That is more than triple the number from 2019, the year before the pandemic moratorium began. It’s far more than any year in at least a decade: www.startribune.com/xcel-is-cutt...
That is more than triple the number from 2019, the year before the pandemic moratorium began. It’s far more than any year in at least a decade: www.startribune.com/xcel-is-cutt...
Comments like these are a small window into the struggle this summer for an upper hand in a deal that would take Duluth’s only publicly traded company private under an ownership group led by a subsidiary of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager: www.startribune.com/as-state-wei...
August 26, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Comments like these are a small window into the struggle this summer for an upper hand in a deal that would take Duluth’s only publicly traded company private under an ownership group led by a subsidiary of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager: www.startribune.com/as-state-wei...
Xcel Energy reports this morning that Unit 1 at its Prairie Island nuclear plant is down following a reactor trip yesterday during a test. Not an emergency situation, and no impact to health and safety.
Unit 2 at Prairie Island is still running.
Unit 2 at Prairie Island is still running.
July 17, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Xcel Energy reports this morning that Unit 1 at its Prairie Island nuclear plant is down following a reactor trip yesterday during a test. Not an emergency situation, and no impact to health and safety.
Unit 2 at Prairie Island is still running.
Unit 2 at Prairie Island is still running.
Interesting new NYT quiz: Should you get a heat pump? Here's the answer for a Minnesotan switching from natural gas to a heat pump.
Price of electricity vs. gas a major factor, says the story: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Price of electricity vs. gas a major factor, says the story: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
July 16, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Interesting new NYT quiz: Should you get a heat pump? Here's the answer for a Minnesotan switching from natural gas to a heat pump.
Price of electricity vs. gas a major factor, says the story: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Price of electricity vs. gas a major factor, says the story: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Already down to 6.5k out in Minnesota
July 16, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Already down to 6.5k out in Minnesota
Power is out for about 10,000 Xcel Energy customers in Minnesota this morning, amid the heavy rain, according to Xcel's outage map. The outages are mainly in Hennepin County.
July 16, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Power is out for about 10,000 Xcel Energy customers in Minnesota this morning, amid the heavy rain, according to Xcel's outage map. The outages are mainly in Hennepin County.
NEW: An Administrative Law Judge has recommended that Minnesota regulators *deny* the sale of Duluth-based energy company Allete to Global Infrastructure Partners/BlackRock.
The decision still rests with the Public Utilities Commission. www.edockets.state.mn.us/turnstile?re...
The decision still rests with the Public Utilities Commission. www.edockets.state.mn.us/turnstile?re...
July 15, 2025 at 9:37 PM
NEW: An Administrative Law Judge has recommended that Minnesota regulators *deny* the sale of Duluth-based energy company Allete to Global Infrastructure Partners/BlackRock.
The decision still rests with the Public Utilities Commission. www.edockets.state.mn.us/turnstile?re...
The decision still rests with the Public Utilities Commission. www.edockets.state.mn.us/turnstile?re...
Minnesota utility regulators will probably ask our electric utilities to file a new plan about how they will speed up their carbon free projects because of the BBB. Here's a proposal from PUC Commissioner Audrey Partridge:
July 11, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Minnesota utility regulators will probably ask our electric utilities to file a new plan about how they will speed up their carbon free projects because of the BBB. Here's a proposal from PUC Commissioner Audrey Partridge:
Inbox: Allete/Minnesota Power has announced a deal with Gov. Walz's Commerce Department over the sale of the Duluth-based utility. Commerce will withdraw its opposition.
Here are the basics, from Allete:
Here are the basics, from Allete:
July 11, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Inbox: Allete/Minnesota Power has announced a deal with Gov. Walz's Commerce Department over the sale of the Duluth-based utility. Commerce will withdraw its opposition.
Here are the basics, from Allete:
Here are the basics, from Allete:
New photo leading Strib live blog. "Loved ones, who declined to give their names, of Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark embraced after hanging a sign with pictures of the couple and their dog Gilbert at a memorial outside the House Chambers"
www.startribune.com/vance-boelte...
www.startribune.com/vance-boelte...
June 16, 2025 at 8:25 PM
New photo leading Strib live blog. "Loved ones, who declined to give their names, of Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark embraced after hanging a sign with pictures of the couple and their dog Gilbert at a memorial outside the House Chambers"
www.startribune.com/vance-boelte...
www.startribune.com/vance-boelte...
Geronimo Energy (formerly National Grid Renewables) has filed an application for a 150 megawatt solar / 150 MW battery project in Martin County. About 1,000 acres, enough power for 32,067 households. www.edockets.state.mn.us/documents/%7...
June 4, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Geronimo Energy (formerly National Grid Renewables) has filed an application for a 150 megawatt solar / 150 MW battery project in Martin County. About 1,000 acres, enough power for 32,067 households. www.edockets.state.mn.us/documents/%7...
(That's basically the entire thrust of the story !)
May 27, 2025 at 5:40 PM
(That's basically the entire thrust of the story !)
New statement from Xcel Energy, which would be the power supplier for the data center.
"Amazon has communicated to us that it is pausing those plans because of factors independent of our readiness to serve the site’s electricity needs."
"Amazon has communicated to us that it is pausing those plans because of factors independent of our readiness to serve the site’s electricity needs."
May 23, 2025 at 2:55 PM
New statement from Xcel Energy, which would be the power supplier for the data center.
"Amazon has communicated to us that it is pausing those plans because of factors independent of our readiness to serve the site’s electricity needs."
"Amazon has communicated to us that it is pausing those plans because of factors independent of our readiness to serve the site’s electricity needs."
For scale, that appears to be less water than a car wash in Apple Valley. Table of Apple Valley's largest water users below. AV has nothing to do with Archer, just had this table handy ->
May 23, 2025 at 2:53 PM
For scale, that appears to be less water than a car wash in Apple Valley. Table of Apple Valley's largest water users below. AV has nothing to do with Archer, just had this table handy ->
A draft environmental review is available for Archer Datacenters project in Faribault. The project is about 120 MW, on the smaller end of these large-scale data centers proposed in MN.
Expected water use of 4.8m gallons per year, which is pretty darn small.
webapp.pca.state.mn.us/eqb-search/p...
Expected water use of 4.8m gallons per year, which is pretty darn small.
webapp.pca.state.mn.us/eqb-search/p...
May 23, 2025 at 2:53 PM
A draft environmental review is available for Archer Datacenters project in Faribault. The project is about 120 MW, on the smaller end of these large-scale data centers proposed in MN.
Expected water use of 4.8m gallons per year, which is pretty darn small.
webapp.pca.state.mn.us/eqb-search/p...
Expected water use of 4.8m gallons per year, which is pretty darn small.
webapp.pca.state.mn.us/eqb-search/p...
Xcel Energy says it will propose a 135.5 megawatt battery project in Scott County. No details yet, just preliminary notice. But that's pretty large for a battery project in MN -->
May 23, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Xcel Energy says it will propose a 135.5 megawatt battery project in Scott County. No details yet, just preliminary notice. But that's pretty large for a battery project in MN -->
The amount of money this cost is a great tragedy in my life
April 16, 2025 at 2:20 PM
The amount of money this cost is a great tragedy in my life
Here's what we wrote in late January amid uncertainty over federal funding freeze. (Plus a shoe ad)
April 2, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Here's what we wrote in late January amid uncertainty over federal funding freeze. (Plus a shoe ad)
The Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota, a consumer advocate nonprofit, is warning about federal cuts at the federal energy assistance program.
CUB says MN is waiting for the final 10% of funding for the current year so a pause would be an issue.
CUB says MN is waiting for the final 10% of funding for the current year so a pause would be an issue.
April 2, 2025 at 6:55 PM
The Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota, a consumer advocate nonprofit, is warning about federal cuts at the federal energy assistance program.
CUB says MN is waiting for the final 10% of funding for the current year so a pause would be an issue.
CUB says MN is waiting for the final 10% of funding for the current year so a pause would be an issue.
One interesting thing I learned: In VA, the world's largest data center market, nearly all data centers use diesel backup. But they're nearly all "Tier 2" generators.
Amazon wants to use cleaner "Tier 4" that are more expensive. Only one data center uses these in VA ->
Amazon wants to use cleaner "Tier 4" that are more expensive. Only one data center uses these in VA ->
February 28, 2025 at 9:05 PM
One interesting thing I learned: In VA, the world's largest data center market, nearly all data centers use diesel backup. But they're nearly all "Tier 2" generators.
Amazon wants to use cleaner "Tier 4" that are more expensive. Only one data center uses these in VA ->
Amazon wants to use cleaner "Tier 4" that are more expensive. Only one data center uses these in VA ->
Summit Lake Solar (National Grid Renewables) has filed a full application now for its 200 MW battery / 200 MW solar project in Nobles County. Project covers about 1,481 acres.
February 24, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Summit Lake Solar (National Grid Renewables) has filed a full application now for its 200 MW battery / 200 MW solar project in Nobles County. Project covers about 1,481 acres.