Energy/Grid Resources

Please edit this wiki and share your Energy/Grid resources here.

Otter Tail Power Company (OTPCO)

  • This is a slideshow that Steve Payne of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign shared with a few of us on Sept 10th. It has lots of information on OTPCO as a energy provider and as a corporation. Check out slide 8 for some gross information on the CEO’s $$$.
    Here’s the updated version of the slideshow from Thursday 1st October

The Beyond Coal campaign aims to get OTP to commit to shutting their coal plants down by the end of 2021 and raise awareness of their rate increase which they want to implement as early as this January, 2021. (The proposed rate increase could add $10/month onto your electricity bill. Note that Otter Tail made $86 million in 2019.)

So far in the campaign, we have had a couple of meetings to learn and discuss Otter Tail Power’s corporate structure and how they generate electricity. We are also building
relationships with other OTP customers and community members.

Otter Tail Power Company requests rate review in Minnesota - Press Release 2nd Nov 2020

Today Otter Tail Power Company filed a request to increase its rates with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The filing starts an approximately 18-month process, often referred to as a rate case, during which the PUC reviews the costs the company incurs to provide customers with energy and related services and then determines the appropriate prices for using those services.

“We’re creating a cleaner energy future while keeping the prices our customers pay among the lowest in the nation,” said Otter Tail Power Company President Tim Rogelstad. “Making this request now better prepares us for long-term success in providing safe, reliable, low-cost electricity to our customers.”

Cleaner energy, smarter technologies, and rising costs drive decision

Prudent investment in cleaner energy generation primarily is driving this request. The Merricourt Wind Energy Center, a 150-MW wind generation facility in southeast North Dakota, and Astoria Station, a 245-MW simple-cycle natural gas combustion turbine in east central South Dakota, are part of the company’s plan to meet customers’ future energy and capacity needs, replace expiring power purchase agreements, and prepare for the 2021 retirement of the 1950s-era coal-fired Hoot Lake Plant in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. The company currently anticipates the Merricourt Wind Energy Center will begin commercial operation by the end of 2020, and Astoria Station likely will begin commercial operation in the first quarter of 2021. “Astoria Station complements our wind resources by providing a low-emission option when the wind isn’t blowing,” said Rogelstad. “Backing wind with natural gas captures the low-cost energy made possible by the current market for wind generation while helping to ensure sufficient reliability from resources we can ramp up quickly during periods of high energy demand.”

Continued focus on enhancing customer experience also is part of the request. A recently implemented Customer Information System allows customers more access and options related to their energy use and the company’s services.

“Our low rates are not an accident,” said Rogelstad. “They’re a direct result of our long history of mindful operations and making the right investments at the right times.” The company filed its last Minnesota rate review in 2016.

Typical residential customer’s monthly bill would increase approximately $7.75

Otter Tail Power Company requested permission to increase revenue by approximately $14.5 million, or 6.77 percent. If the PUC approves the overall request as filed, a typical residential customer’s bill would increase by approximately $7.75 a month, and a typical business customer’s bill would increase by approximately $26 a month. The increase would be more for some customers and less for others depending on the rates on which they are served and the amount of energy they use.

While the PUC considers Otter Tail Power Company’s overall request, the company asked to increase rates on an interim basis beginning January 1, 2021. In January customers will receive information with their electric service statements showing the requested overall rate increase and example interim monthly bill impacts for various customer types. The interim rates would remain in effect until early 2022. If final rates are lower than interim rates, the company will refund customers the difference with interest. If final rates are higher than interim rates, the company will not collect the difference.

The PUC will hold a public hearing related to the request and will post the hearing schedule on its website. Otter Tail Power Company also will post the hearing schedule and provide additional details about its rate review request at otpco.com/MNRateReview.

Solar Power Information

Solar United Neighbors
Find out more about solar power here on the web.

For more Minnesota specific details follow this link: https://www.solarunitedneighbors.org/minnesota/

The Morris and Southwest Prairie 2020 Solar Co-op has now closed. Here are the results: found at this web page

Participants: 36
Installations: 11
Capacity: 154 kW
Invested: $430k
25-Year Savings: $694k

Installed By Solar Farm

  • Join the solar coop here
    Joining the coop is really straight forward, costs nothing and does not commit you to doing anything. The goal is to get a group of interested people together who want to investigate the possibility of installing solar panels on their homes or other buildings. By grouping together you can get competitive pricing on solar panels, plus (quoting from the web site):

  • Info to help you understand solar. Our vendor-neutral solar experts are here to help you understand how solar works and make the best decision for your energy needs.

  • A direct line to ask specific questions. You can call or email us anytime you need help. We’ll be here now and long after you install solar.

  • A team that solicits and reviews proposals from solar companies. First, Solar United Neighbors requests bids on your behalf. Then, a committee of your fellow co-op members meet to assess the pros and cons and select the best installer for the group. (Note: If that sounds interesting to you, you’re also welcome to join the selection committee!)

  • Community. You’ll join the growing solar movement. You’ll have a built-in network of support and inspiration from others who, like you, are taking a stand for energy freedom and advancing the clean energy economy.

  • A bigger impact! Going solar creates jobs, and puts energy production and its benefits back in the hands of the people and contributes to cleaner air and water for everyone. A solar co-op amplifies those outcomes exponentially.

Getting to Zero Forum

May 10-12, 2023 | Live in Minneapolis + Virtual

The Getting to Zero Forum is the premier event dedicated to building decarbonization. With a growing number of climate emergencies across the United States and around the world, there is no more important time than now for the Getting to Zero Forum. The event brings together the world’s leading experts to share best practice approaches to reducing energy demand and decarbonization related to policy, program, and projects. It is the only event with a broad cross-section of stakeholders focused on ambitious building efficiency goals and is an ideal venue for organizing both the policy and building communities to achieve zero carbon ambitions.

The next Forum will take place May 10-12, 2023, and will be live in Minneapolis and virtual. It is expected to attract more than 500 leading policy makers, designers, building owners, systems manufacturers, and commercial real estate professionals to share best practices and collaborate on opportunities for zero energy and zero carbon to transform the built environment.

Access tools and resources on zero energy and zero carbon buildings from the Getting to Zero Resource Hub: https://gettingtozeroforum.org/ (Registration information for the May 2023 forum can be found here too.)