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Walker Orenstein

@walkerorenstein.bsky.social
1.9K followers 563 following 202 posts

Reporter for the Star Tribune covering energy. From St. Paul, but a Washington Husky. Email: walker.orenstein@startribune.com

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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
With gas it can often be somewhat bland capital projects, here's the short version from Xcel in a couple of screencaps but link for more detailed info. efiling.web.commerce.state.mn.us/documents/%7... They say they shouldn't have similar capital needs in the next few years after this
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
Otter Tail Power is asking state regulators to approve a 17.7% rate increase for its customers, which would cost the average household nearly $218 per year. Below is the company press release with the reasons for the hike, such as ending electricity supply from a coal plant:
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
At the same time, the average Xcel customer past due on their bill owed $270 in 2019. That figure was nearly double between 2021 and 2024. www.startribune.com/xcel-is-cutt...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
Xcel Energy disconnected 52,549 Minnesota households from electricity or gas last year. That is more than triple the number from 2019, the year before the pandemic moratorium began. It’s far more than any year in at least a decade: www.startribune.com/xcel-is-cutt...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
Comments like these are a small window into the struggle this summer for an upper hand in a deal that would take Duluth’s only publicly traded company private under an ownership group led by a subsidiary of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager: www.startribune.com/as-state-wei...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
Xcel Energy reports this morning that Unit 1 at its Prairie Island nuclear plant is down following a reactor trip yesterday during a test. Not an emergency situation, and no impact to health and safety. Unit 2 at Prairie Island is still running.
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
Interesting new NYT quiz: Should you get a heat pump? Here's the answer for a Minnesotan switching from natural gas to a heat pump. Price of electricity vs. gas a major factor, says the story: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
Already down to 6.5k out in Minnesota
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
Power is out for about 10,000 Xcel Energy customers in Minnesota this morning, amid the heavy rain, according to Xcel's outage map. The outages are mainly in Hennepin County.
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
NEW: An Administrative Law Judge has recommended that Minnesota regulators *deny* the sale of Duluth-based energy company Allete to Global Infrastructure Partners/BlackRock. The decision still rests with the Public Utilities Commission. www.edockets.state.mn.us/turnstile?re...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
Minnesota utility regulators will probably ask our electric utilities to file a new plan about how they will speed up their carbon free projects because of the BBB. Here's a proposal from PUC Commissioner Audrey Partridge:
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
Inbox: Allete/Minnesota Power has announced a deal with Gov. Walz's Commerce Department over the sale of the Duluth-based utility. Commerce will withdraw its opposition. Here are the basics, from Allete:
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
New photo leading Strib live blog. "Loved ones, who declined to give their names, of Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark embraced after hanging a sign with pictures of the couple and their dog Gilbert at a memorial outside the House Chambers" www.startribune.com/vance-boelte...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
Geronimo Energy (formerly National Grid Renewables) has filed an application for a 150 megawatt solar / 150 MW battery project in Martin County. About 1,000 acres, enough power for 32,067 households. www.edockets.state.mn.us/documents/%7...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
(That's basically the entire thrust of the story !)
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
New statement from Xcel Energy, which would be the power supplier for the data center. "Amazon has communicated to us that it is pausing those plans because of factors independent of our readiness to serve the site’s electricity needs."
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
For scale, that appears to be less water than a car wash in Apple Valley. Table of Apple Valley's largest water users below. AV has nothing to do with Archer, just had this table handy ->
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
A draft environmental review is available for Archer Datacenters project in Faribault. The project is about 120 MW, on the smaller end of these large-scale data centers proposed in MN. Expected water use of 4.8m gallons per year, which is pretty darn small. webapp.pca.state.mn.us/eqb-search/p...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
Xcel Energy says it will propose a 135.5 megawatt battery project in Scott County. No details yet, just preliminary notice. But that's pretty large for a battery project in MN -->
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
The amount of money this cost is a great tragedy in my life
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Here's what we wrote in late January amid uncertainty over federal funding freeze. (Plus a shoe ad)
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
The Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota, a consumer advocate nonprofit, is warning about federal cuts at the federal energy assistance program. CUB says MN is waiting for the final 10% of funding for the current year so a pause would be an issue.
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
One interesting thing I learned: In VA, the world's largest data center market, nearly all data centers use diesel backup. But they're nearly all "Tier 2" generators. Amazon wants to use cleaner "Tier 4" that are more expensive. Only one data center uses these in VA ->
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Summit Lake Solar (National Grid Renewables) has filed a full application now for its 200 MW battery / 200 MW solar project in Nobles County. Project covers about 1,481 acres.
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
New preliminary filings at the MN PUC for a 180 MW solar farm, and then a separate 200 MW battery project in Olmsted County. The solar farm developer appears to be Chicago-based Ranger Power. The battery project is linked to NYC-based Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
I had found 10 potential large-scale data centers, but knew there could be more: www.startribune.com/mega-data-ce...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
If you have a headlamp, it's also a treat in the dark!
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has formally asked Xcel Energy to answer more questions about its $8m land sale to a subsidiary of Black & Veatch, which then sold to Amazon for $73m for a potential data center. Background: www.startribune.com/xcel-said-a-...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Inbox: Gov. Tim Walz has appointed Audrey Partridge to the open seat on the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Partridge was director of policy for the Center for Energy and Environment and worked at CenterPoint Energy before that.
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Xcel's Prairie Island nuclear plant is now at full strength during this cold snap. One of two units there powered down for scheduled refueling & maintenance in late Sept. and was supposed to be back up nine weeks later. But it was offline more like 17 weeks. Xcel statement from Jan. 7:
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
I talked to more than 30 people for this story. Some say this can be a great economic win for our state and even our climate goals. Others worry it could mean more natural gas, or simply that producing that much power in a short time frame is unrealistic. www.startribune.com/mega-data-ce...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
NEW: The prospect of a wave of mega data centers in Minnesota is now possible. The first is under construction by Meta in Rosemount. But I found at least 9 others in various stages of development. They could need as much power as every household in the state. www.startribune.com/mega-data-ce...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 07/01/2025
Earlier this year, Xcel Energy said it might have to scale back or cancel plans for a major hydrogen hub in MN if preliminary rules for a federal tax credit didn't change. Xcel doesn't sound super optimistic about the final rules: Background: www.startribune.com/xcel-univers...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
New Amazon filing with the PUC says it is planning *250* backup diesel generators for its data center in Becker. The company also says the data center is expected to have a peak daily load of up to 600 megawatts (!). That's about the size of the Monticello nuclear plant.
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
Inbox: Xcel says the feds have approved its plan to extend the life of the Monticello nuclear plant an extra 20 years through 2050. Monticello and Prairie Island are key to the company's plans for carbon-free energy. www.startribune.com/xcel-aging-n...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
"We don’t dispute the fact that it’s red, we say that’s what it should be so we can take the action we need." (This is the red MISO is referencing)
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
By the way, MISO says it expects three times as much solar production this winter compared to last year (bottom left bullet point)
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
At the same time, the grid operator MISO will tell Minnesota regulators this morning that the region has sufficient energy supply this winter across its footprint and in the smaller zone that includes Minnesota. mn.gov/puc-stat/doc...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
Big questions >
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
Definitely part of it. That MISO number is bigger than most of the country.
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
Minnesota's rural electric association is using this report to call for an end to Minnesota's moratorium on new nuclear plants. From their statement:
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
The regional grid that includes Minnesota is at high risk for a shortfall in electricity supply over the next five years, according to a report from nonprofit NERC. "Resource additions are not keeping up with generator retirements and demand growth." www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/R...
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
"Lower costs for our members, up to a 25% reduction in costs" for power equivalent to 40% of the Connexus energy mix, says board chair Fran Bator. The coop is aiming for 227 megawatts of new power
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
Jennifer Schultz has applied to an open spot on the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. The former DFL state rep from Duluth and two-time candidate for CD8 in Congress lists two government affairs jobs as her current work. I don't believe she served on energy committees at the lege.
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Also applying is Zam Zam Musse, supported by solar/battery trade group MnSEIA and Cooperative Energy Futures. Musse is an engineer and board member at Community Power.
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Harris' has support from several organizations including Sabathani Community Center, the Mpls American Indian Center & Cooperative Energy Futures. Her references were U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, MN Solicitor General Elizabeth Kramer & Xcel President in Minnesota Ryan Long. Cover letter:
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Some Xmas tips from Xcel. Use those C9s, people!
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Walker Orenstein @walkerorenstein.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
Catching up on Minnesota energy news after a week in beautiful West Texas. Spearmint Energy, based in Miami, has proposed a 150 MW battery project in Freeborn County. It would grid charge, meaning no new specific wind/solar project associated with it. Snippet of the filing below ->
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