Tuesday, July 8th, 2025 Church Directory

An Open Letter to Xcel Energy

An open letter to Xcel Energy:

We need to talk.  You see, we’ve been neighbors for 45 years - actually longer if you figure from the first time your company sent representatives to our little hamlet located along Hwy. 10.  While other cities yelled “NIMBY” as you approached them, our town leaders listened and trusted your promises. Those leaders shook a few hands and took you at your word.  Heck, they even defended you from some locals who thought you would be bad for our community.  

I was young when you moved in and my only real memory is those huge trucks that hauled loads of clay through town on their way to the foundation for your new home.  Our roads were narrower then and a young fella on a bike had to be pretty careful not to get squished by one of those monstrous machines.  I wasn’t there to hear the actual conversations, but I have relatives that were part of those discussions, and I can also rely on the stories I’ve heard from my mom and dad who owned the cafe in town at the time.  Those same leaders and local business people were steadfast in supporting you and your mission because there was open communication - that’s what neighbors do. 

I think the people of Becker lived up to their end of the bargain.  We provided a great host site, a skilled workforce, excellent schools and a wonderful community for your workers to call home.  Our local businesses found ways to make the partnership work because that’s what neighbors do.  Personally, it made my life better in many ways because I have been fortunate enough to count many of your workers as friends, neighbors and family.

Sure, there were some bumps in the road, like the time you lobbied the legislature and passed a bill that dramatically reduced your local tax contributions via the power plant personal property tax exemption. That was a pretty big deal and fundamentally changed our relationship, but we soldiered on and took you at your word that you were committed to a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship.  That time, I didn’t have to rely on the word of my relatives because I was there as part of the Becker City Council. The property tax exemption wasn’t something I supported, but at least you spoke to us about it ahead of time and offered some concrete plans for the future. You were transparent, came to the table in good faith and I would assume it was because you felt that’s what neighbors should do.

We moved forward, looked for new ways to further the partnership and for a few years, I was able to see the benefits of the summer internship program that paired Becker students with opportunities at Sherco to learn about engineering and maintenance.  Speaking with these students, it was obvious that this program was a “win-win” solution and perhaps the perfect example of a school-to-work apprenticeship.  I actually had the opportunity to speak at several professional conferences about this exemplary partnership . . . until you canceled the program.  I guess I never heard your reasons for pulling the plug on that program.  I would have appreciated some more communication on that one because being transparent is what neighbors do.

Well, I guess the history lesson is over which brings me to the decision you made three weeks ago to reverse course on the gas plant proposal that was signed into law in 2017.  I have to be honest, I was able to overlook many of the problems in our relationship in the past but this latest one has me wondering what’s next?

For neighbors to not only co-exist, but also prosper, there needs to be open communication.  We tried.  The Patriot reached out, hoping to have a conversation so we could relay your thoughts to our 16,000+ readers on the future of our partnership.  All we received back was a tardy email containing the same press release you had sent to other media outlets three days prior.  That’s not exactly neighborly behavior in my opinion.

Another thing that neighbors do? They hold each other accountable.  Those same 16,000+ readers hold me accountable for what I write each week.  So as your 45+ year neighbor, here are two simple questions:

1. Did you reach out to our local elected officials before submitting your new proposal to the appointed members of the Public Utilities Commission?  If so, to whom did you reach out and when?  Mayor Bertram and Commissioner Dolan - can you verify this information?  

2. What are your concrete plans to “continue to develop projects that keep this region vibrant and growing” as you stated in your press release?

Since I get the opportunity to cover local government, I can offer a few suggestions based on discussions held by local, elected leaders.

First of all, call Becker Mayor Bertram and Becker Township Chair Brian Kolbinger immediately and pledge to scale back your plans for the solar farm in the business expansion zone of these municipalities.  Your current plans will completely hamstring these two entities and their plans for future industrial development.  Sit at a table with these two (and others) and include more of their local input into your filings to the metro centric PUC.

If you need alternate acreage to bolster your solar farm, just give me a call.  I can give you a list of other local farmers who have lived here for many years who are willing to be part of the solution.

Second, pledge to work with these local units of government on the redevelopment plans for the Sherco site.  Again, sitting at a table and giving these elected officials the chance to talk has developed a level of trust in the past.  Schedule the meeting(s) now before it’s too late.

And finally, according to public records, Xcel Energy paid $3 million a year for 25 years for the naming rights to the Xcel Energy Center - the arena in St. Paul.  

I’m not sure what your ROI is for the naming rights to a hockey stadium, but I can personally guarantee you there’s a local project that would be at least as much deserving of your financial support.

I propose you donate $3 million for ONE year to the Becker school district to construct a new STEM center and robotics practice and training facility.  It could be configured with solar panels on the roof, allowing thousands of students from across Minnesota the chance to chase their robotics dreams, while also studying future renewable energies.

I would imagine you could have some naming rights to this important educational facility - and in the process expose your company to the elite STEM students in Minnesota and across the world (if you doubt that, just check out the Central MN Robotics Hub and their numerous teams who have participated in the world championships).

I’m available any time to sit and chat or share some more details about my vision.  That’s what neighbors do- they sit down at the table together, hold each other accountable and work towards a better future. It’s your call.

Sincerely,

Mark Kolbinger

(Editor’s note: this column is the opinion of Mr. Kolbinger and does not in any way reflect the views or opinions of his full time employer, Becker Public Schools).