MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (Jan. 8, 2019) – Minnesota residents and businesses that want to use more renewable energy will have another option, as Xcel Energy expands Renewable*Connect. The program allows customers to subscribe to low-cost wind and solar energy as the company works to achieve its vision to deliver zero-carbon electricity to customers by 2050. 

Xcel Energy plans to add renewable resources to meet customer demand for a new round of Renewable*Connect, after the first phase of the program sold out in less than a year. The company filed a proposal with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission yesterday, which also detailed its plan to transition customers who participate in the Windsource® program over to Renewable*Connect to better meet the needs and interests of these customers. 

“As we work to serve customers with carbon-free electricity for the future, we are providing customers with choices to power their lives with renewable energy today,” said Chris Clark, president, Xcel Energy—Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota. “Renewable*Connect is a great way for customers to meet their sustainability needs, whether it’s providing their homes and businesses with clean electricity, powering a special event with renewable energy, or delivering long-term sustainability for industrial customers and government buildings.”

Minnesota companies and communities lined up to join Renewable*Connect

Xcel Energy sold out the first phase of Renewable*Connect with more than 400 residential customers on the waiting list for the second round, which will be available after Commission approval. Ten large customers have reserved spots to participate in the second round. 

Uponor, an award-winning manufacturer of PEX piping that is helping advance the construction industry by focusing on water, energy and labor, was one of the original companies to sign up, inking a 10-year agreement with Renewable*Connect in October 2017 and plans to add more with the program’s second phase.

“Our goal is to get to 100 percent renewable, green energy wherever possible by 2020 and this program moves us significantly closer to that milestone,” says Bill Gray, president of Uponor North America.

“Anytime a utility can put forward a new program for customers that bundles renewables with RECs at an affordable price, smart businesses will be inclined to support that proposal,” said Pete Swenson, director, sustainable enterprise, Tennant Company, a Minnesota-based manufacturer of sustainable cleaning equipment. 

With four city buildings already 100 percent powered by renewable energy through the initial Renewable*Connect program, the City of St. Louis Park plans to take advantage of this expansion and review the option of powering at least two additional city buildings.

“Xcel Energy’s Renewable*Connect program has been key to the city’s ability to show leadership in the area of climate action,” said St. Louis Park Mayor Jake Spano. “We appreciate Xcel Energy’s initiative in providing this program and look forward to continuing to partner as St. Louis Park advances its own Climate Action Plan, the most ambitious in the state, with a goal of carbon neutrality by 2040 and using only renewable energy by 2030.”

The city passed its Climate Action Plan earlier this year and is pursuing additional sustainability efforts, including energy efficiency, alternative fuels and other strategies to reduce carbon use. 

How Renewable*Connect works

Renewable*Connect allows customers to choose how much of their energy comes from renewable sources, and how long of a commitment they wish to make. There are no up-front costs associated with the program, and prices are known when customers enroll, providing price certainty into the future.

The program works well for businesses with sustainability programs, because Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) are retired by Xcel Energy on behalf of customers when they subscribe. RECs are tradeable energy commodities that demonstrate energy used by a customer was generated by renewable energy,

Bringing solar to Windsource customers

Xcel Energy’s Windsource program has been one of the most successful green energy programs in the country. More than 50,000 customers in Minnesota are currently subscribed to receive wind energy at their homes and businesses. Windsource has delivered almost two million megawatt-hours of wind energy to Minnesota customers since 2003. Many Windsource customers say they would like solar energy to be part of their mix, so the planned integration of Windsource into Renewable*Connect is a low-cost and effective way to provide the local solar energy customers want.

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About Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) provides the energy that powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company is an industry leader in responsibly reducing carbon emissions and producing and delivering clean energy solutions from a variety of renewable sources at competitive prices. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.