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Gas resource planning

Gas resource planning is driven by the Commission’s mission to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable utility service that is consistent with Minnesota’s laws. The initiative was started following the 2021 gas price spike from Winter Storm Uri, which demonstrated a need for a more comprehensive planning approach to protect consumers from commodity price volatility. Resource planning is a forward-looking process designed to identify resources needed to provide reliable service to Minnesotans. 

In February 2024, the Commission advanced stakeholder recommendations and formally established planning requirements for three of Minnesota’s largest natural gas utilities, Xcel Energy, CenterPoint Energy and Minnesota Energy Resources Corporation (MERC). 

The key decisions include:

  • Establishing resource plan requirements for gas utilities.
  • Requiring utilities to evaluate different ways to ensure they have enough gas to serve customers at a reasonable cost.
  • Providing information about utility distribution system investments and evaluating whether there are opportunities to use new technologies to avoid some infrastructure projects.

Gas planning materials are filed in docket no. G008,G002,G011/CI-23-117; Some planning topics will be more suitable for the 'future of gas' rather than long-term planning and are in docket no. G-999/CI-21-565.

Get involved

During the first comment period, the Commission will take comments and make an eventual determination on the Scope of gas resource planning. The Commission's Notice of Comment asks many questions and specifically seeks to learn from members of the public: 

  • How utilities should engage with the public and community groups to include community needs and wants in resource plans? How should utilities explain why community input was or was not used in final plans and decisions? 
  • How do decisions about natural gas utility service influence your community in unique ways, what might others not see that we should know about (e.g. relationship to a particular power source / appliance)?
  • What changes, if any, would you like to see in how your gas utility delivers power to your home or business?
 
Date Item Comment Period #
March/ April 2024 Second Comment Period Opens, focused on data and models for gas resource plans 2
May 2024 In-person and Virtual Public Meetings held 2
June 2024 Reply Comment Period Closes 2
August 2024 Commission Decision Made on Gas Resource Plan Filing Requirements 2
TBD

Gas Utilities file first official Gas Resource Plan; 

Meeting on Future of Gas (docket no. 21-565)

 Additional, as needed.
*Subject to change to meet Commission objectives.
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