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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

Canada Energy Minister Says Alaskan Gas Tax Credit Violates Agreement

LCG, May 3, 2002--Natural Resources Minister Herb Dhaliwal asserted that an amendment in the U.S. Senate's energy bill defies the nations' understanding to allow a free-market approach to Arctic gas pipeline routes.

Last week's U.S. Senate bill included a tax credit for Alaskan gas reserve owners. Exxon Mobile, BP Plc, and Phillips Petroleum would benefit if gas shipped from Alaska, through Canada, costs less than $3.25 per thousand cubic feet. The credit was included because the companies had insisted that the hypothetical pipeline, over $10 billion US for 4 billion cubic feet per day capacity, is not economically viable.

Prior to the energy bill, Canada and the U.S. had agreed to let the free market determine the details surrounding a possible pipeline to be built through Canada, from Alaska and the Mackenzie Delta.

Dhaliwal calls the amendment a subsidy to the companies.

"The message is we have an agreement which said both countries would be route-neutral and let it be market driven. If they move away from that we will have to reconsider our position to make sure we don't allow our gas to be stranded."

Canadian producers have already started the applications process for building a 1 billion cubic feet-per-day pipeline from the Mackenzie Valley to Alberta, at a cost of $2 billion US.

The controversial U.S. amendment has yet to be approved.

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