The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has ordered Xcel Energy to reimburse customers for the 2011 failure of its coal-fired electric plant in Becker.
The commission allowed Xcel to bill customers for the cost of additional fuel and power to meet demand following the failure of the Sherco plant.
The PUC put off their decision for years due to Xcel's lawsuit against turbine manufacturer General Electric.
Xcel is expected to give $54.7 million back to customers following the order, which will be provided to customers via a one-time bill credit based on 2023 usage. Residential customers will see an average refund of approximately $20.
Apart from this refund, several of the fuel costs incurred throughout 2023 and 2024 are still in dispute.
Last October, Xcel’s contractors caused an unplanned outage at the company’s Prairie Island nuclear facility that led the utility to purchase energy from other sources at substantial cost. Citizen’s Utility Board and other parties argued that ratepayers should not be required to pay for replacement power costs.
The Commission ultimately agreed Xcel acted imprudently, but the amount to be refunded to customers has yet to be determined.
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