- Xcel aims at expanding its renewable energy capacity.
- The utility plans to generate 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050.
US utility Xcel Energy has obtained regulatory approval to install 4.65GW of wind and solar power plants by 2032 as part of a wider plan to expand its renewable portfolio and produce 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050.
The proposal is a component of its Upper Midwest Energy Plan to enable the utility to cut the carbon emissions from the electricity provided to its Upper Midwest customers by over 85% by 2030.
Under the plan, Xcel Energy will retire all of its coal-fired generation facilities in the Upper Midwest and construct 2,150MW of wind and 2,500MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) parks by 2032.
“This decision means more than 80% of our customers’ electricity will be carbon-free by the end of the decade…,” said Bob Frenzel, president and CEO of Xcel Energy.
Xcel Energy’s Upper Midwest system serves customers in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan. The utility noted it will need further regulatory nods for some elements of the plan and approval for additional “always available” power sources.