On Monday May 14, Senator Andrew Mathews and his Minnesota Senate colleagues passed bipartisan legislation he chief-authored to bring proactive accountability to our state’s energy regulation process. The bill provides an additional option for the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and Excel Energy to plan for the upkeep and maintenance of its nuclear facilities to provide Minnesota residents and businesses with safe, stable, and reliable energy.

“This commonsense bipartisan legislation encourages proactive engagement between Xcel Energy and the PUC when planning for the future of these facilities,” said Senator Mathews. “By engaging in this process on the front-end, we not only allow for as efficient of a process as possible, but also ensure stability and certainty in our energy rates for all Minnesotans. This is a win-win for all.”

The legislation maintains the PUC’s regulatory authority of Xcel’s nuclear facilities, however allows for the costs of maintenance and upkeep proposals to be approved prior to construction. Current law requires Xcel Energy to first perform all upkeep work prior to the PUC’s approval of the costs, a backwards approach. The bill maintains that any proposal may first be approved by the PUC before Xcel Energy begins upgrades.

“Not only does this bill provide certainty to ratepayers and Excel energy, but it guarantees that the cities where these facilities are located will reap the benefits of stable, good paying jobs,” added Senator Mathews. “As Minnesota plans for our energy future, this bill brings much needed stability and certainty in providing our families and businesses with clean, reliable energy for the years to come.”

The bill was supported by the IBEW Minnesota State Council and the Minnesota State Building and Construction Trades Council.

“This legislation provides an extra layer of security for all of our hardworking families and neighbors who are employed at Xcel nuclear facilities, and this compliments last year’s bill for the Sherco plant,” concluded Senator Mathews. “Reliable energy generation, protecting good paying jobs, and saving Minnesotans money is policy we can all support.”