Xcel Energy

Authorities are conducting a mock disaster at the Monticello Nuclear plant tomorrow (Wednesday). The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will join other state agencies, law enforcement and first responders in the mock drill. It will test the capabilities of the responsible agencies in case of a real disaster.

Hundreds of customers are still without power today (Wednesday), due to yesterday's storms.

Hundreds of people in central Minnesota remain without power this (Monday) afternoon, after last night's thunderstorms. Stearns Electric says they still have about 330 customers with no electricity. Meanwhile, Xcel Energy says they have about 200 customers in the St. Cloud metro area that are still without power.

Xcel Energy says there are still about 2,000 customers in the St. Cloud metro area that are without power this (Monday) morning, after last nights storms.

Xcel Energy says it has reached a $100 million settlement with the federal government over costs the company incurred because the Department of Energy failed to remove used nuclear fuel by a 1998 deadline.

The Monticello nuclear power plant has been returned to full service. The Xcel Energy plant was shut down last Friday so a safety relief valve could be replaced.

Operators have temporarily shut down the Monticello nuclear power plant to replace a safety relief valve. Xcel Energy says the valve protects the plant's main steam line system from over pressure conditions.

Rain, wind and lightning have knocked out power to thousands of customers in the Twin Cities metro area. Xcel Energy says more than 8,000 customers were without service Tuesday morning.

Xcel Energy says more than 4,000 north Minneapolis customers are still without power after Sunday's tornado. By 8 p.m. Wednesday, crews were able to rebuild enough of the company's distribution system to restore service to an additional 1,000 customers.

Xcel Energy says 5,105 north Minneapolis customers are still without power Wednesday morning. Spokesman Tom Hoen says the company expects the "vast majority" of the remaining outages to be repaired Wednesday, but some customers will have to wait until Thursday for power.