![Monticello Nuclear Plant Upgrade Costs Double](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2011/01/Monicello-Nuclear-Plant.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Monticello Nuclear Plant Upgrade Costs Double
ST. PAUL (AP) - Xcel Energy says the costs of upgrading its Monticello nuclear plant have doubled to $640 million.
The utility revealed the cost in a filing Wednesday with the state Public Utilities Commission, after previously saying the figure was a trade secret.
The project was originally expected to cost $320 million. The recently completed five-year project included replacement of aging equipment and boosting electricity output by 12 percent. The upgrades are intended to extend the life of the 43-year-old reactor another two decades.
Xcel expects to restart the plant this month after a four-month shutdown.
The utility has asked the PUC for a rate hike for 1.2 million Minnesota customers because of the cost overruns, which it blames on the complexity of the project. The commission is expected to decide this fall.
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