In order to increase the transparency and accessibility of the regulatory process, ILSR’s involvement in 2023 regulatory dockets is summarized below. ILSR regularly files comments and tracks dockets that concern issues related to energy democracy, distributed generation, and otherwise improving access to clean energy.
< 2024 Docket Submissions 2022 Docket Submissions >
There’s Still Room — and a Need — for Improvement in Xcel Energy’s Hosting Capacity Analysis
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission Docket No. E002/M-22-574
In June, ILSR, MnSEIA, and Cooperative Energy Futures (collectively, Joint Solar Commenters) submitted comments to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission regarding Xcel Energy’s 2022 Hosting Capacity Report. The commenters ask the Commission to accept Xcel Energy’s 2022 Hosting Capacity Analysis Report and further direct the Company to implement Monthly Hosting Capacity Updates and the FastTrack Supplemental Review Screens (FTSRS) use case. These two improvements to Xcel Energy’s hosting capacity analysis would be more useful to developers and help facilitate the clean energy transition now required under Minnesota’s 100 percent carbon-free electricity standard.The Commenters also note their concerns about Xcel Energy’s efforts to restrict grid information.
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Xcel Energy Proposal Relies on a Flawed Assessment of Solar Program Costs
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission Docket No. E002/M-13-867
At the end of March, ILSR, along with Cooperative Energy Futures, Vote Solar, and Novel Energy Solutions, submitted comments to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on modification to the applicable retail rate (ARR) calculation proposed by Xcel Energy. The Applicable Retail Rate (ARR) applies to community solar gardens proposed before the Value of Solar (VOS) took effect. The commenters recommend that the Commission reject Xcel’s proposed modification, approve the 2023 ARR without modification, and direct Xcel to propose a method for calculating any net costs from past community solar bill credits that accounts for the avoided costs these projects have provided to ratepayers.
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Commenters Ask Minnesota Regulators to Extend the Residential Adder
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission Docket No. E002/M-13-867
In January, ILSR and collaborators Cooperative Energy Futures, Vote Solar, Minneapolis Climate Action, and Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light submitted comments on the extension of the residential adder within Xcel Energy’s community solar garden program. The residential adder is a trial component of Minnesota’s Value of Solar compensation for community solar subscribers that gives an additional credit to residential subscribers. It was created in an effort to reduce the community solar program’s skew toward commercial and industrial subscribers.
The commenters make the point that although data is limited, the only reasonable explanation for the slight increase in residential subscribers to Xcel Energy’s community solar program is the residential adder. Cooperative Energy Futures and Minneapolis Climate Action, two developers that focus on subscribing low-income households, each report that the residential adder has helped them in their efforts. The commenters ask that the adder be extended for at least five years, if not permanently.