On November 1st, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) voted 5-0 to have Minnesota’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, submit a plan by July of 2013 that examines alternatives to continued operations at the Sherco 1 and 2 coal-fired power plant units. The plan will compare the cost of upgrading the units (two of the three largest coal units in the state) with modern pollution controls versus retiring the units in favor of other electricity generation like wind, solar, and natural gas, and demand reduction through efficiency, conservation and other efforts.
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