Xcel Energy is committed to the communities we serve. This commitment is reflected in how we provide safe, clean and reliable energy to our customers, but also in how we take care of the environment. One way we do this is by working to be an industry leader in creating pollinator-friendly habitats in our own backyards. 

 

By restoring land that we own, rare plants and trees can thrive and give safe haven to declining pollinator populations that are suffering because their critical habitat is disappearing. We’ve already restored or created more than 1,100 acres of active pollinator habitats in Minnesota and Wisconsin. More than 200 additional acres are in development in areas we operate.   

 

There are also excellent examples of this restoration work right here in central Minnesota. Approximately 24 acres are being returned to native prairie and 850 acres to an oak savanna forest, all on our land near the Sherco plant and Monticello nuclear plant. Decades ago, oak savanna habitats were maintained by wildfire and large grazing animals. Today, they are considered globally rare and, according to the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, this is one of the rarest wildlife habitats in Minnesota. 

 

If you’ve seen the oak savanna restoration site, you may have noticed our efforts included removing diseased, invasive and non-native trees. The restoration project will leave scattered white and bur oak trees essential to the survival of declining species, such as the red-headed woodpecker and the rusty-patched bumblebee. Many native plants that have been stunted by too much shade now will receive sufficient sunlight to flourish. 

 

These efforts would not be possible without the help of some great community partners including Great River Greening, the Sherburne Soil & Water Conservation District, National Wild Turkey Federation, Wright County, City of Becker, City of Monticello and the University of Minnesota.

 

Prairie restoration begins this month and our work on the oak savanna will resume in late summer to prevent the spread of oak wilt. We’re looking forward to bringing these habitats back to their original splendor and helping our pollinators thrive.