Xcel Energy denied solar power proposal by North Dakota regulators

This doesn’t happen often, but Xcel Energy was denied application for an ADP by the North Dakota Public Service Commission, after the utility regulators ruled that Xcel Energy’s proposal wasn’t cost effective enough – that it would raise costs without delivering clear benefits. This is the first time the commission denied an ADP.

From the Bismarck Tribune:

“We have got to draw the line for North Dakota consumers,” Commissioner Brian Kalk said.

David Sederquist, Xcel’s regulatory affairs manager for North Dakota, said Wednesday’s denial wasn’t a surprise, as PSC members had previously made their opposition known.

The solar power and its costs were to be shared by the five states served by Xcel: Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and a small part of Michigan.

So far, North Dakota is the only state to push back, Sederquist said.

“The other states at this point are still on board with those resources, and we expect to recover those costs in our other states,” he said.

A big part of the proposal is to meet a 2013 Minnesota legislative mandate requiring the company to serve 1.5 percent of its retail customers with solar energy by the end of 2020. The ADP was for 187 MW of solar power from three projects planned in Minnesota cities.

— Solar Builder magazine

[source: http://solarbuildermag.com/news/xcel-energy-denied-solar-power-proposal-by-north-dakota-regulators/]