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Minnesota PUC Approves Operations Extension for Xcel Energy's Prairie Island Nuclear Plant

LCG, August 15, 2025--Xcel Energy announced that the company received state approval yesterday from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to extend operations of the Prairie Island nuclear plant through the early 2050s. Prairie Island has two units that have a combined generating capacity of 1,100 MW. The units’ current operating licenses expire in 2033 and 2034.

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PGE Announces Addition of 475 MW of Battery Energy Storage Systems to Improve Grid Reliability and Costs

LCG, August 7, 2025--Portland General Electric (PGE) today announced the completion of three, four-hour lithium-ion utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Oregon, adding 475 MW and more than 1.9 GWh of dispatchable capacity to serve the Portland metro area. Each of these BESS facilities can deliver power during peak demand or when other electric generating facilities are limited, which improves system flexibility, reliability and costs.

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Industry News

PNM Asks Court to Rule on Western Resources Merger

LCG, Oct. 15, 2001--Public Service Co. of New Mexico asked a New York court on Friday to either rewrite the terms of its takeover of two Kansas utilities from Western Resources Inc., or to call a halt to the pending transaction.

Western Resources and PNM announced the $4 billion deal last November, in an arrangement that would required Western to separate its electric utilities from the parent company and spin off its other businesses to shareholders.

But the Kansas Corporation Commission in July of this year Rejected Western's request for an electric rate increase and blocked the company's reorganization plan. That, according to PNM, changed the terms of its agreement with Western.

Western, though, is still trying to push through the deal with PNM, despite the New Mexico utility's claim that the deal is now much different that the one it agreed to. PNM has now taken the matter to the Supreme Court of New York, where both companies agreed to take any disputes.

"Although we take this step reluctantly, we believe we have no choice," said Jeff Sterba, PNM chief executive. "Western has demanded that we seek KCC approval of the original transaction, even though it contains a provision that has now been ruled unlawful by the KCC. We believe it would be futile for us to make such a filing."

Sterba added "We believe the current agreement must be restructured, so that it can be approved by the KCC."

PNM is a combined electric and gas utility serving about 800,000 million customers in New Mexico. Western provides electricity to about 636,000 customers in Kansas.

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