The Commission reviews the rider filings submitted by utility companies; approving, rejecting, or modifying the proposals.
Riders are a creation of the Minnesota Legislature. Generally, a public utility may not change its rates without undergoing a rate case in which the Commission comprehensively reviews the utility’s costs and revenues. However, the Legislature has created exceptions to this general policy, a utility may implement a rider to expedite recovery of certain costs not reflected in the company’s current base rates.
Learn More
The three main types of Rider filings are:
Gas Utility Infrastructure Cost (GUIC) - Minn. Stat. § 216B.1635
In 2005, the Minnesota Legislature enacted Minn. Stat. § 216B.1635, the Recovery of Gas Utility Infrastructure Costs (GUIC) statute, permitting gas utilities to file petitions for a rate schedule to recover certain costs of GUIC-defined projects. In 2013 the GUIC statute was amended which, in part, expanded both the definition of GUIC projects and the eligible rider-recoverable costs.
Integrity Management Programs were introduced pursuant to the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 2002. The law directed the U.S. Department of Transportation to promulgate rules to address integrity programs for gas transmission lines. A Transmission Integrity Management Program (TIMP) is a prescriptive risk-based program with the objective to improve pipeline safety; gas transmission operators are required to assess the health and condition of a utility’s gas transmission assets, and evaluate and prioritize repairs to mitigate the risks and threats.
In 2009, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published the final Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP) rule establishing integrity management requirements for gas distribution pipeline systems. The DIMP rules are intended to help gas distribution utilities identify, prioritize, and evaluate risks, identify and implement measures to address risk, and validate the integrity of their gas distribution system.
Transmission Cost Recovery (TCR) - Minn. Stat. § 216B.16, subd. 7b
The 2005 Legislature enacted the Transmission Statute, authorizing the Commission to approve, modify or reject a tariff mechanism for an automatic adjustment of charges for costs associated with eligible utility investments in transmission facilities and, in 2008, amended this statute to allow inclusion of certain regional transmission facilities’ costs, as determined by MISO. Under Minn. Stat. § 216B.16, subdivision (subd.) 7b, the transmission-cost recovery statute the Commission may but is not required to authorize a “tariff mechanism” that allows a utility to recover, through a rider, the Minnesota jurisdictional costs of:
• new transmission facilities that the Commission has approved through a certificate of need or under the state transmission plan; and
• charges incurred by a utility under a federally approved tariff that accrue from other transmission owners’ regionally planned transmission projects that have been determined by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) to benefit the utility or the integrated transmission system.
During the 2015 legislative session, the Transmission Statute was further modified to allow for the cost recovery of facilities and planning investments that support grid modernization efforts. Such projects must be certified by the Commission under Minn. Stat. § 216B.2425 in order to be eligible for rider recovery.
Renewable Energy Standards (RES) - Minnesota Statute § 216B.1691
The 1997 Legislature enacted the Renewable Energy Statute (Minn. Stat. § 216B.1645, Subd. 2a), authorizing the Commission to approve a tariff mechanism for an automatic annual adjustment of charges for costs associated with utility investments or costs to comply with renewable energy mandates. The Renewable Energy Standard (RES) Rider is designed to allow for the automatic adjustment of charges to recover prudently-incurred investments, expenses, or costs associated with facilities constructed, owned, or operated by a utility to satisfy the RES Statute, provided those facilities were previously approved by the Commission pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 216B.1691.
| Utility | Docket No. | Status |
| Xcel Energy | G-002/M-14-336
G-002/M-15-808 G-002/M-16-891 G-002/M-17-787 G-002/M-18-692 G-002/M-19-664 |
Final Order Issued
Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued On-going |
| MERC | G-011/M-18-281
G-011/M-19-282 G-011/M-20-405 |
Final Order Issued
Final Order Issued On-going |
| Great Plains Natural Gas Co. | G-004/M-16-1066
G-004/M-17-858 |
Final Order Issued |
| Utility | Docket No. | Status |
| Xcel Energy | E-002/M-06-1103
E-002/M-07-1156 E-002/M-08-1284 E-002/M-15-891 E-002/M-17-797 E-002/M- 19-721 |
Final Order Issued
Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued On-going |
| Minnesota Power | E-002/M-06-1103
E-002/M-07-1156 E-002/M-08-1284 E-002/M-15-891 E-002/M-17-797 E-002/M- 19-721 |
Final Order Issued
Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued On-going |
| Otter Tail Power | E-017/M-09-881
E-017/M-10-1061 E-017/M-13-103 E-017/M-14-375 E-017/M-15-874 E-017/M-16-374 E-017/M-18-748 E-017/M-19-530 |
Final Order Issued
Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing |
| Utility | Docket No. | Status |
| Xcel Energy | E-002/M-15-805
E-002/M-17-818 E-002/M-19-732 |
Final Order Issued
Final Order Issued Ongoing |
| MERC | E-015/M-07-216
E-015/M-10-273 E-015/M-13-410 E-015/M-14-349 E-015/M-14-962 E-015/M-16-776 E-015/M-18-375 E-015/M-19-523 |
Final Order Issued
Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Ongoing |
| Great Plains Natural Gas Co. | E-017/M-08-119
E-017/M-08-131 E-017/M-08-1529 E-017/M-09-1484 E-017/M-12-708 E-017/M-17-279 E-017/M-18-390 E-017/M-19-411 |
Final Order Issued
Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Final Order Issued Ongoing |
*Tables last updated August 2021
1. What is a Rider? Riders are a creation of the Minnesota Legislature. Generally, a public utility may not change its rates without undergoing a rate case in which the Commission comprehensively reviews the utility’s costs and revenues. However, the Legislature has created exceptions to this general policy, a utility may implement a rider to expedite recovery of certain costs not reflected in the company’s current base rates.
2. How can I learn more about Riders? Previous Commission decisions are a good place to learn about how riders have been addressed and can be accessed via edockets. The docket numbers for the various utilities are shown in the tables above.
3. How do I use edockets to get additional information on past Rider filings? See all documents filed in this docket via the Commission’s website at mn.gov/puc, select Search eDockets, enter the year (xx) and the docket number (xxx), select Search.
4. How can I participate? Individuals or groups who wish to provide input in a Rider proceeding without being formal intervenors may do so by submitting comments to the MN PUC. Such participation does not require the assistance of legal counsel but is generally limited to making position statements on the issues. Although statements become part of the record that the Commission reviews in making its decision, those who make statements do not ordinarily have the right to submit evidence or appeal Commission decisions in court.
Online: Visit the public comment page and follow the prompts
Email: consumer.puc@state.mn.us
U.S. Mail: Consumer Affairs Office, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, 121 7th Place East, Suite 350, St. Paul MN 55101
5. What recourse does a party have if they do not agree with the Commission decision? After the Commission issues a final order on a utility’s rider application, parties have the right to request reconsideration from the Commission. This is a request to have the Commission reconsider either parts or all of its final order. The request for reconsideration must occur within 20 days of the date the Commission’s order was issued. The Commission must take up the reconsideration request within 60 days or it is deemed denied. Parties also have the right to appeal the decision to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. This also must occur no later than 30 days after the final order was issued.
Need Help?
Contact Jorge Alonso, Supervisor Financial Analysis
jorge.alonso@state.mn.us or 651-201-2258
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