North Dakota regulators are objecting to Xcel’s customers in this state paying for a solar project in Minnesota.
"A 718 kilowatt solar facility is being built in Minnesota to comply with some of their mandates," said Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk. "And they would like some of those costs spread to North Dakota customers."
Kalk said Xcel proposed that it would be done through a purchased power adjustment, rather than in a full rate case. He said it isn't a lot of money.
"The average cost would have been about one one-hundreth of a cent per month, for the average Xcel customer using 750 kilowatts," Kalk said.
But Kalk said North Dakota customers shouldn’t have to pay for a Minnesota project that meets that state’s mandates for renewable energy. Commission chairman Julie Fedorchak agrees.
"North Dakota will stand firm on its principals of low cost, planning and need," Fedorchak said.
Kalk said Xcel has told the PSC it will have another purchased power agreement for 700 megawatts of solar. He said the Commission probably won’t be inclined to allow any charges without a full rate case.