Xcel To Shut Down Becker Energy Plant
The state’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases will be shutting down, a move that’s part of Xcel Energy’s effort to find more renewable energy alternatives.
The idea to shut down the plant in Becker, Minn. has been in the works for two years. Now, the Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel’s plans to shut down two of the plant’s three Sherco coal-fired generators.
Xcel had submitted its plan to the PUC to close them down as part of bigger initiative to come up with more renewable energy sources.
Two of the coal generators have been there since the 1970s; the third on the site is much newer and will stay in operation.
Xcel also proposed building a gas powered plant on the Sherco site as a partial power replacement, but that was not approved. Instead the PUC asked that Xcel explore more energy alternatives along with the gas plant.
