Minnesota Bill Could Help Utilities Plan for Maintenance

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Legislation that would help Xcel Energy plan for the high costs of maintaining old nuclear power plants is heading to the Minnesota Senate where it could face some tough opposition.

Reports say Republican Sen. Andrew Mathews, of Milaca, is sponsoring the bill that would give utilities earlier notice about how much money they could recover for costly work.

Utilities currently fund repairs and maintenance to power plants. Customers reimburse companies for those investments afterward through rate increases if the state Public Utilities Commission determines the investments were ``prudent.''

Gov. Mark Dayton said Tuesday that he's not interested in altering the current process.
Annie Levenson-Falk is the executive director of the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota. She says customers need better protection from cost overruns.