As the local Xcel Energy community relations and economic development manager, Mark Osendorf knows first-hand how this community has been affected by and responded to the events of 2020.
“I’ve seen our kids move to distance learning and seen how our businesses have responded to these challenging times.,” he said. “As people come together to support one another in difficult circumstances, I am optimistic that 2021 will be a brighter year for our community, and I am confident that our company will continue to deliver great service to you while making important progress in our clean energy transition.”
While 2020 was more challenging than anyone could have imagined a year ago, Xcel Energy responded quickly. Early this year, they dedicated $20 million to short-and long-term relief for COVID-19 and other corporate giving to help support their communities and local non-profit organizations.
“Locally, we’ve provided grants to Paramount Center for the Arts, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central MN, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud Technical & Community College and the Boy Scouts of America Central MN Council,” Osendorf said.
“And our essential, front-line workers never missed a beat,” he continued. “They’ve continued to operate power plants, built and maintained power lines and natural gas lines to ensure that electricity and natural gas is available to heat your homes and power your businesses. I personally thank them and if you happen to know any of our front-line workers, I encourage you to do the same. Or even just give them a wave or a thumbs up when you see them.”
Osendorf says Xcel Energy will be here for the long-haul to help meet one’s needs.
“Early on, when the pandemic started, we suspended electric service disconnections and began brainstorming other ways to help with the economic recovery, including programs that will provide new funding for struggling businesses,” he said. “We responded to a call from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and proposed projects that can put 3,000 Minnesotans back to work building energy infrastructure like wind, solar, and the advanced grid that will help you use your energy more efficiently.”
Clean energy transition
“We also made tremendous progress on our clean energy vision,” Osendorf said. “We added more than 1,000 megawatts of new low-cost wind energy in the region, enough to power more than 500,000 average homes for a year.”
Osendorf says Xcel continues to work with customers to reduce their energy use in homes and businesses, and the company’s carbon-free nuclear plants are two of the best-performing plants in the country.
“We also refueled a unit at our Prairie Island nuclear plant, which is now ready to run continuously for the next two years delivering reliable, carbon-free electricity to the Upper Midwest”
Community partners are key to moving Xcel’s vision forward with the proposed Upper Midwest Energy Plan. The plan will reduce carbon emissions 80% by 2030 by expanding wind and solar energy, continuing to deliver carbon-free nuclear energy by extending operations at the Monticello Nuclear Plant for another 10 years, and building a new, efficient natural gas plant in Becker to ensure reliability and grid support for our customers.
One can weigh in on the plan by going to www.mn.gov/puc and submitting a comment that references docket 19-368.
“Two years ago we announced our vision to provide 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050,” Osendorf says. “While it’s only been two years, we’ve made a lot of progress”.
In 2019, Xcel achieved a 44% reduction in carbon emissions since 2005, including a 10% reduction in 2019 alone. And they expect continued progress in coming years as the new wind projects come line.
“We’re also driving energy innovation,” he says, “including receiving a grant to produce carbon-free hydrogen at one of our nuclear plants, and we announced a vision to power more than 1.5 million electric vehicles throughout our service areas, which will save billions of dollars in fuel for our customers and reduce carbon emissions from transportation.”
As Xcel Energy turns the page on 2020, Osendorf says they are committed to continuing their progress in 2021.
“Many of the wind projects currently under construction will come online, and we’ll work with our communities, customers and our state to spur recovery from the COVID-19 recession,” he said. “While there were many challenges to overcome this year, we have accomplished much to be celebrated, and we can continue to look forward to better days ahead.”
