A deal apparently has been struck in the State Senate between legislators, utilities, at least a few environmental organizations, and perhaps some others. The Senate Energy Committee just amended and passed SF 4, which until an hour ago was a pretty clear cut standard for utilities to get 25% of their electricity from new renewable sources by 2020. Now it will take a slightly higher order of math to figure out the exact end result.
I haven’t seen the text of the amendment, so details will have to come at a later date. It does create a separate percentage for Xcel Energy at I believe the 30% by 2025 level, but it also lets them count all of the renewable energy that they were mandated to do in exchange for being able to keep their Prairie Island nuclear power plant operating (it was out of storage space for all of the nuclear waste it generates), which previously did not count.
I understand that the new language may get utilities to ramp up their renewable percentages a bit faster than we are currently slated to, so that’s good news. If the House is okay with the agreement language, this bill should be passed by both bodies at a pretty fast clip. Certainly more details to come.