ND PSC approves selling renewable credits


High Voltage Maintenance Training Online

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 12 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$599
Coupon Price:
$499
Reserve Your Seat Today

Xcel Energy North Dakota renewable energy credits support REC sales, RPS compliance, and bill credits for ratepayers, leveraging wind and solar generation, with PSC oversight and customer profit returns across Fargo, Minot, and Grand Forks.

 

Context and Background

Tradable RECs from Xcel's ND wind and solar, with 90% of sale profits credited back to state electric customers.

  • PSC okays REC sales; 90% of profits return to ND customers
  • Estimated savings: under $2 per year for residential bills
  • 300,000 RECs annually, rising to 450,000 by 2015
  • Credits aid other states' RPS compliance via REC markets

 

North Dakota regulators endorsed most of an Xcel Energy Inc. plan for selling its renewable energy credits and sharing the money with its electric customers in the state.

 

Xcel, which is based in Minneapolis, provides electric service to about 87,000 North Dakota customers, including the cities of Fargo, West Fargo, Minot and Grand Forks. Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk said credit sales could shave less than $2 a year from residential customers' bills, although the size of the benefit will depend on what price the credits fetch.

"That is one of the keys, that our consumers need to be benefiting from these types of projects," Kalk said.

Xcel accumulates credits based upon the amount of electric power it generates from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar projects. North Dakota now expects to get about 300,000 credits annually, and the yearly number is expected to grow to 450,000 by 2015, according to Public Service Commission filings.

Xcel, which sells electricity in eight states, may use the credits to meet state directives that a set percentage of its electric sales be generated by renewable sources. It may also sell them to other state utilities that need help in meeting renewable energy mandates.

North Dakota law sets a goal for utilities to generate 10 percent of their electric sales from renewables by 2015. But it is not a mandate, which means Xcel has no reason to redeem its credits in North Dakota, and issues like a solar subsidy dispute can shape such decisions.

During a meeting Wednesday, the state Public Service Commission supported allowing Xcel Energy to sell its North Dakota credits as it saw fit, as long as 90 percent of the profits were returned to its electric customers in the state.

Xcel proposed an 85-15 split, but the commissioners favored a 90 percent share for North Dakota customers because the utility made a similar agreement with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission.

"If there are people in Wisconsin and Minnesota that want to pay our companies for renewable energy credits to meet their obligations, and we can apply that to our customers' bills, I'm all for that," PSC Chairman Kevin Cramer said.

Any benefit from credit sales will be shown on a part of ratepayers' bills that is adjusted regularly to reflect changes in the cost of fuel Xcel buys to generate electricity, and as turbine incentives influence the generation mix, the North Dakota regulators said.

 

Related News

Related News

Sask. sets new record for power demand

SaskPower Summer Power Demand Record hits 3,520 MW as heat waves drive electricity consumption; grid…
View more

B.C. electricity demand hits an all-time high

BC Hydro Peak Electricity Demand reached a record 10,902 megawatts during a cold snap, driven…
View more

Electricity prices in Germany nearly doubled in a year

Germany Energy Price Hikes are driving electricity tariffs, gas prices, and heating costs higher as…
View more

Ontario Launches Largest Competitive Energy Procurement in Province’s History

Ontario Competitive Energy Procurement accelerates renewables, boosts grid reliability, and invites competitive bids across solar,…
View more

COVID-19 Pandemic Puts $35 Billion in Wind Energy Investments at Risk, Says Industry Group

COVID-19 Impact on U.S. Wind Industry: disrupting wind power projects, tax credits, and construction timelines,…
View more

Court reinstates constitutional challenge to Ontario's hefty ‘global adjustment’ electricity charge

Ontario Global Adjustment Charge faces constitutional scrutiny as a regulatory charge vs tax; Court of…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Download the 2026 Electrical Training Catalog

Explore 50+ live, expert-led electrical training courses –

  • Interactive
  • Flexible
  • CEU-cerified