The Minnesota Department of Commerce is preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) on Xcel Energy’s request to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for changes in the nuclear waste storage capacity at its Prairie Island Nuclear Plant.  

PRAIRIE ISLAND NUCLEAR PLANT PROPOSAL   

Xcel Energy has proposed to extend the operating life of the Prairie Island nuclear plant to the year 2054. To accommodate the additional spent nuclear fuel associated with extending the lifetime of the plant, Xcel Energy has requested that the PUC authorize additional storage within the plant’s existing independent spent fuel storage installation. Xcel Energy estimates that approximately 34 additional spent fuel storage canisters will be needed to facilitate plant operations through 2054.  

The EIS being prepared by Commerce will be used by the PUC in making its decisions on Xcel Energy’s request for additional storage; it will evaluate the potential human and environmental impacts of Xcel Energy’s proposal. The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the scoping decision issued by Commerce in July 2024.   

A draft of the EIS is anticipated to be completed and available in October 2024.  Public meetings and a comment period on the draft EIS will follow.  Timely and substantive comments on the draft EIS will be responded to in a final EIS.  The final EIS is anticipated to be available in February 2025 for use by the PUC.  

The EIS scoping decision is available: 

• On the Commerce EERA website: apps.commerce.state.mn.us/web/project/15425, and
• On the PUC website at mn.gov/puc, select eDockets, enter the year (24) and the docket number (68), and select Search.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Mo Schriner, Communications Director
Minnesota Department of Commerce
mo.schriner@state.mn.us