Here’s how you can take action to stop fossil gas in Minnesota.
- Are you an Xcel customer in St. Paul? Sign a petition for 100% renewable energy.
- Are you a Minnesota Power customer? Sign a petition for 100% clean energy.
- Learn more about the impacts of fossil gas.
- Find out which utility serves you.
- Find out how much gas your utility uses now.
- Read success stories of previous action items.
Xcel Customers in St. Paul
If you are a resident of St. Paul, add your name to the pledge to push the City of St. Paul to demand Xcel Energy provide 100% clean, renewable, and equitable energy and stop any plans to build new fossil fuel infrastructure, like fracked gas power plants. St. Paul is Xcel’s largest customer, giving residents like you power in their utility’s decisions.
Minnesota Power Customers:
Minnesota Power has a proposal to partner with Dairyland Power to construct the 525 MW Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC) fracked gas plant in Superior, Wisconsin. If built, NTEC would cost ratepayers over seven hundred million dollars to construct and emit over one million tons of carbon each year. The plant was originally proposed in 2017, and at that time, we found cleaner and more cost effective alternatives were available. Sign the petition to demand 100% clean and affordable energy from Minnesota Power!
Learn More About the Impacts of Fossil Gas:
Read the full report on fossil gas facts from Sierra Club and MN 350: The Health, Safety, Climate, and Economic Risks of Fossil Gas Extraction and Use.
Listen to a podcast about the health impacts of burning gas in the home from the Los Angeles Times or the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.
Don’t Know Who Your Utility Is? It’s Easy to Find Out!
Finding out who provides your energy is the first step to demand more responsible electricity. You will get your power from one of three types of utilities: an Investor Owned Utility (IOU), a municipal utility, or a rural electric coop. The big Investor Owned Utilities (IOU’s) in Minnesota are Minnesota Power, Northwestern Wisconsin Electric, Otter Tail Power Company, and Xcel Energy. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission lists these municipal providers. Find a map of Rural Electric Coops here. If you are unsure of your provider, contact your city hall.
Find Out How Much Gas Your Utility Is Invested In:
Most utilities (especially the big ones) have this information on their website. If you search your utility + “energy portfolio” or “power generation” it will hopefully direct you to pages with that information. It also would be included in their annual reports if you’re able to find those on their website.
Action Item Success Stories:
After an unprecedented amount of public engagement, Xcel Energy dropped its plans to build a combined cycle gas plant in Becker, Minnesota. Thousands of Xcel Energy customers voiced their opposition to the proposed gas plant — which, according to the Sierra Club, would have emitted over three million tons of carbon each year. The plant also cost $200 million more than clean energy alternatives.