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Minnesota Power’s 2025-2039 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)

Minnesota Power’s 2025-2039 IRP sets out the utility’s plan for meeting its customers’ demand for electricity for the next 15 years. Minnesota Power filed its 2025 IRP on March 3, 2025.

A core responsibility of the PUC is regulating how Minnesotans get their power. This process begins when a utility files a new resource or distribution plan. These plans are forward-looking planning documents that focus on the utility’s forecast of how much energy customers will need in the future. Plans then analyze how to best utilize energy conservation, fuel purchases, power generation, and infrastructure to deliver energy to customers’ homes or businesses, and meet their energy needs. In other words, it is a whole system view.   

Minnesota Power’s proposal for meeting expected customer energy needs includes:

 

  • Continuing with its plan to stop using coal at Boswell Energy Center by 2035, as approved in Minnesota Power’s last IRP.  

  • By 2030, refueling Boswell Unit 3 to run on natural gas, and partially refueling Boswell Unit 4 for 40% natural gas co-firing.  

  • Adding new carbon free resources by 2035, including 400 MW of wind and 100 MW of energy storage.   

  • Adding approximately 750 MW of new natural gas resources by 2035, in addition to the repowers at Boswell Energy Center.  

  • Adding 100 MW of new industrial demand response by 2028. 

Minnesota Power’s growth plan includes:

This plan is Minnesota Power’s proposal for how to meet customer energy needs if it sees significant, rapid load growth (such as from data centers or large industrial facilities).

  • Up to 750 MW of new natural gas generation, in addition to the resources in the base plan. 

  • Additional carbon free resources, including 1800 MW of additional wind, 200 MW of solar, and 200 MW of additional energy storage resources.  

Clean Firm Plan

As part of the Commission’s December 10, 2025 Order on the acquisition of Minnesota Power’s parent company, Allete, the Commission required that Minnesota Power create a $50 million Clean Firm Technology Fund. The money for the Clean Firm Technology Fund is supplied by the new owners of Minnesota Power, not by any customers. 

This fund will be used to invest in innovative carbon-free electricity generation. The Commission also required Minnesota Power file a “Clean Firm Plan” to evaluate options for lowering emissions and minimizing natural gas resources while prioritizing affordability and reliability.

On January 15, 2026, Minnesota Power filed four Clean Firm Plan scenarios: 

  • No new natural gas power plants (using only new wind, solar, and storage resources)

  • Removing combined-cycle natural gas plants from the IRP

  • Limiting the capacity factor (i.e., annual generation) of new natural gas facilities in the IRP

  • Minimizing the size of new natural gas power plants in the IRP

Ongoing procurements:

Minnesota Power is in the process of procuring resources consistent with its last IRP, approved by the Commission in 2023. These procurements include: 

  • Up to 300 MW of solar by 2030. (See Dockets No. E015/M-24-343; E015/M-24-344; E002,E015,E017/CI-23-403).200 MW of utility-scale solar and 65-85 MW of distributed solar by 2030.  

  • Up to 400 MW of wind by 2030.  

  • Up to 500 MWh of energy storage, for which the Company will make a proposal in 2026.  

The 2025-2039 plan also includes:

  • Continuing annual energy conservation of approximately 2.8%, consistent with Minnesota Power’s current Energy Conservation and Optimization (ECO) Plan. 

  • Continuing operations of the Hibbard biomass facility and exploring biomass as a potential alternative fuel for Boswell Unit 4 after 2035.  

  • A proposal to establish a $30 million research and development fund to advance innovative new carbon free generating technology through demonstrations and pilots. 

Additional ways to get involved

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The Commission welcomes comments on Minnesota Power’s 2025 IRP and Clean Firm Plan scenarios in docket number 25-127.

If you would like to comment on this matter, there are multiple ways to reach the Commission.  

  • Email to consumer.puc@state.mn.us.  

  • Mail your comments to:
    Minnesota Public Utilities Commission,
    121 7th Place East, Suite 350,
    Saint Paul, MN 55101. 

  • Online form

When commenting on the Minnesota Power IRP, reference docket number 25-127. Visit the comment page on the Commission’s website to learn more.  

Summary report of public comments

The PUC and the Court of Administrative Hearings conducted five public meetings on the Minnesota Power IRP in July 2025. See the Summary Report of Public Comments by Administrative Law Judge Kristien Butler for more information on these meetings here.

Learn more

All information for the 2025 Minnesota Power IRP is in Docket Number 25-127.

Our planning webpage has more information on the purpose and requirements of resource planning