Xcel Energy and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) waited four months before notifying the public after a 400,000 gallon radioactive leak at Xcel’s Monticello nuclear plant. 

The leak was discovered by Xcel on November 22, 2022, and was immediately reported to the MPCA. Radioactive high-tritium water spilled from a leaky pipe and has seeped into the ground water under the plant. Tritium is a naturally occurring radioactive isotope that shows up in much higher concentrations in water from nuclear power plants.

On March 16th, 2023, Xcel and the MPCA finally notified the public. They defended the delay by saying that the spill was contained, that the public was never at risk, and claimed the reason for delay was to avoid public alarm. Xcel Energy estimates that its ground water pumping efforts over the last 4 months have recovered about 25% of the leaked tritium.

Over 90 attendees showed up at a January 23rd event to help pass a robustly funded People’s Climate & Equity Plan. You too can be part of history and build on this momentum!

If you are in Minneapolis and want to keep the city council focused & supportive of full funding, or to make sure incoming candidates understand the importance of climate action, then becoming a caucus / convention delegate is the most effective thing we can do over the next few months. 

• Fill out the form to Caucus for the Minneapolis People's Climate & Equity Plan on March 14^th so you can be connected with experienced caucus-goers in your City Council Ward
• For some basic info, answers to FAQ’s, and the various political parties*** see Minneapolis Caucus How, Why and Where 2023. 

• You can also be connected to the Caucus for Climate & Equity mobilization by signing your name on this letter to Mayor Jacob Frey, encouraging him to support creating a new robust dedicated fund for Climate & Equity, through a tax on the city's biggest polluters.

• The caucus form is live! For everyone in wards 1-11 planning to caucus with the DFL, you can now sign up to become a delegate by filling out this form before March 14. Wards 12 and 13 will be caucusing in-person on March 14 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. ln-person caucus locations available here.

What has become known as the "100% Bill" (HF 7 - Long / SF 4 - Frentz  referring to 100% Clean Energy, is set to become State Law.

This comes after a multi-year effort of by a coalition of multiple grassroots and grass tops organizations that formed in 2018 and launched in 2019.

Community Power and Partners will mobilize for additional energy policy legislation that more directly centers our broader interests of energy democracy, expanding local authority for climate action, and ensuring widespread access to the benefits of clean energy.

Shortly before midnight on Feb 2^nd, the MN State Senate has narrowly approved a requirement for the state’s electric utilities to provide carbon free power by 2040, after the MN State House passed an identical version on January 25^th. This 17-year timescale is the state's most ambitious clean energy standard ever.

It is worth noting that Xcel Energy and Minnesota Power, made carbon free pledges on their own accord, but for a decade later in 2050.

With some exceptions, utilities would have to provide power that is:

• 80 % carbon-free by 2030; 60 % for rural co-ops by 2030;
• 90 % carbon-free and 55 percent renewable by 2035;
• and 100 % carbon-free by 2040

There will be a process for utilities who don't think they can hit the above targets to ask the PUC for an exception, or to buy renewable energy credits to offset carbon intensive power that they continue to provide.

In 2007, the MN State Legislature passed the 25% by 2025 Renewable Energy Standard with a nearly unanimous, bipartisan vote.

Minnesota was able to meet that target eight years ahead of schedule. Utilities, grid operators, and energy producers had an easier time than expected integrating renewable energy into the grid and maintaining reliability in a way that has saved billions of dollars for Minnesotans.

• The new law is more than mere carbon reduction. It strengths utility reporting requirements on jobs, host communities, environmental justice impacts, and employee & vendor diversity.  
• The MN Public Utilities Commission will have more direction to maximize the jobs benefits and organizing rights of Minnesota workers when needed to ensure prevailing wages are paid and to assist transitioning workers.
• You can read more about what the bill does here.

Yes, Xcel Energy is still proposing a historically high 21% rate increase and this would create greater hardship for those most struggling in this inflationary and post-pandemic period, inequitable rates for residential and low-income households, and invest in an outdated grid that perpetuates an expensive, fragile and highly centralized system.

Confused? Read on! But first, the main ways to weigh in, some talking points, and an event on the rate case...

The good news is that the link to record videos is now fixed! You can directly record and submit short 1-3 minute testimony on this site NOW through January 6th, 2023 at 4:30pm. You don't need to do any downloading/uploading/or emailing. Just use the QR code below, or click on the image to direct you there and follow the instructions to sign in (you do not need to disclose your real birthday, by the way). That's it to submit!

Link here: https://flipgrid.com/groups/12934603/topics/32372265/responses 

The final deadline for comment is January 6th at 4:30PM:

• There is one more online hearing 12/9 at 1:30PM where you can given spoken comments Learn about the Hearings and How to Join
• You can submit a written comment using the instructions at https://mn.gov/puc/consumers/public-comments/. Make sure to reference PUC Docket No. 21-630 in your comment. Written comments are open until January 6th, 2023 at 4:30PM.
  
  • To submit or view written comments:
    • 1) Click here,
    • 2) Then click on "Go to E-Dockets".
    • 3) On the row that says "Docket Number" enter 21 under the year column and 630 under the number column. Then click Search.   
• You can email comments directly to [email protected] as long as your reference Docket # 21-630. 
• You can also personalize a short written comment via Vote Solar's online action page.

• Utility Justice- Fighting Xcel's Rate Hike
• Mobilizing for Inclusive Financing
• Coalition Building with the Just Transition Fund
• Organizing City Council Candidate Forums
• Continuing the Energy Efficiency Cohort

Utility Justice- Fighting Xcel's Rate Hike

In 2022 Community Power continued our utility justice work by fighting against Xcel’s 21% rate hike proposal - which includes seeking a guaranteed profit of ~10.2%. For the first time ever, we have mounted the ability to formally intervene - with the help of pro-bono legal representation from ELPC, and strong partnership of the Just Solar Coalition. If we invest in the grid, it should be to enable the resilient grid of the future not to line the pockets of Xcel or re-entrench an outdated grid. With our help, momentum for equity on the power grid is growing to get these issues of inequity and community control be taken seriously at the state-level.

Mobilizing for Inclusive Financing

On a short notice, we packed the hearing room with supporters wearing the Inclusive Financing logo button!

Community Power continued our 6-year long quest organizing alongside dozens of other groups for Inclusive Financing for energy efficiency, which does not require credit or income-tests, immigration paperwork, or property ownership. We held our ground at every step of the way, writing comments in favor of expanding access to energy efficiency improvements to renters and community members who have been underserved by preexisting energy efficiency programs due to the above barriers we continue to point out. 

Make no mistake, this was an uphill battle. Some institutional names in energy efficiency mobilized to block even a pilot of this innovative well-tested but new-to-Minnesota Inclusive Financing program to preserve their own programs as the sole methods of delivering efficiency by putting forth positions that miss and sideline real stories from Minnesota saying what they want and need. 

Thanks to our efforts, the width of the gap in who are not being served by existing efficiency programs is now clearly on record and supporters in the community are even more galvanized. This is only the beginning!