Xcel Energy reports “great success” on a program that allows customers to buy electricity from wind and solar sources, with the first offering of “Renewable Connect” fully subscribed in about a month. Regional V-P Laura McCarten says it costs slightly more than energy from conventional sources, “but the nice thing about it is… it’s a known price over the term of their sign-up with us. It’s not gonna fluctuate because there’s no fuel cost involved, so potentially over time it could even be a cost saving.”
McCarten says they’ll see how the program plays out, and very well may want to continue it so customers could sign up for additional amounts of renewable energy. She says, “We’re looking at about a year to make sure we’ve got a real good solid understanding of how this works with our customers, and then we would define another step in process, take it to our regulators, get approval, and then offer it to customers.”
More in this interview: