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Minnesota PUC Approves Operations Extension for Xcel Energy's Prairie Island Nuclear Plant

LCG, August 15, 2025--Xcel Energy announced that the company received state approval yesterday from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to extend operations of the Prairie Island nuclear plant through the early 2050s. Prairie Island has two units that have a combined generating capacity of 1,100 MW. The units’ current operating licenses expire in 2033 and 2034.

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PGE Announces Addition of 475 MW of Battery Energy Storage Systems to Improve Grid Reliability and Costs

LCG, August 7, 2025--Portland General Electric (PGE) today announced the completion of three, four-hour lithium-ion utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Oregon, adding 475 MW and more than 1.9 GWh of dispatchable capacity to serve the Portland metro area. Each of these BESS facilities can deliver power during peak demand or when other electric generating facilities are limited, which improves system flexibility, reliability and costs.

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Industry News

Continued Border Blockade Threatens Talks

LCG, Nov. 6, 2000--Thousands of Austrian demonstrators continued to blockade border-crossings into the Czech Republic this morning, threatening talks between Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman and Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schssel.

Zeman said this morning that he saw no reason to pursue talks with the Austrian government if it was unable to keep its own borders open. There is some doubt, however, how eager Austria is to suppress the demonstrators.

When the anti-nuke activists returned to the borders last week, it was with a permit to demonstrate, issued by the Austrian government. Zeman said at the time that he believed the permit had been issued before his talks with Schssel had begun. If they were still there today, he would rethink the continuation of the meetings, he said last week.

They were still there today despite demands from Schssel himself that they cease the protests. Until now, the Austrian chancellor has supported the protesters, but has asked them to find a different form of protest while he and Zeman try to sort out differences between the two countries.

About continuing his talks with Schssel, Zeman said this morning "I don't see a reason for such a meeting. Why meet with a government that is so weak that it cannot ensure free passage of its borders?"

The controversy is over the Czech nuclear power plant at Temelin, a town 35 miles from the Austrian border. Austria contends that the facility, of Soviet design with fuel and control systems designed by Westinghouse of the U.S., is unsafe. Austria considers all nuclear power plants unsafe.

Last week, Temelin operators reported the reactor was at 2.5 percent of full power and was holding at that level for tests. The plant is expected to reach 100 percent of capacity in February.

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