MINNEAPOLIS (June 24, 2024) – Xcel Energy crews are working to safely restore power to about 600 customers in Rapidan, MN, following flooding that washed away an electrical substation serving the area. The company estimates all customers will be back online by midnight.
Rushing water from the Blue Earth River overflowed early Monday morning in Rapidan, MN, cutting a path around the Rapidan Dam and sweeping substation equipment downriver. Xcel Energy crews are working through challenging environmental conditions and collaborating with emergency management and local officials to resolve the power outage as soon as possible.
Crews are deploying a mobile substation in the region that will replace the lost infrastructure and return electric service to the majority of the affected customers, those east of the Blue Earth River. Xcel Energy crews are collaborating with BENCO Electric Cooperative to connect the 90 customers who are west of the river to the co-op’s distribution lines to restore their service.
“Our teams have been working diligently since floodwaters knocked out the Rapidan substation this morning to bring power back to homes and businesses in the area — more than 170 Xcel Energy employees arrived at the scene to assist,” said Ryan Long, president of Xcel Energy–Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota at Xcel Energy. “We know people depend on electricity, especially during warm days and severe weather. We urge residents to stay safe as our crews work by avoiding any damaged electrical equipment and following all flooding precautions.”
In addition to its efforts to return service to customers, Xcel Energy has also been fortifying several of its facilities downriver of the Rapidan Dam, in Mankato, with sandbags and other barriers to protect them in the event the dam becomes compromised and water levels rise downriver. The facilities include two substations serving Mankato residents, as well as the Wilmarth Generating Station, a plant that produces energy from biomass. The Wilmarth plant’s two units have been shut down as a precaution.
By adjusting how power flows through the grid, Xcel Energy is also taking steps to minimize how many customers would be affected by an outage in Mankato in the unlikely event that water reached the substations.
Learn more about how to remain safe around energy equipment in flood conditions.
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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 X, formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook.
