Yesterday, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission gave Xcel Energy approval to run the Prairie Island nuclear plant through the early 2050s. It’s the right move, but state law currently prohibits the PUC from issuing a certificate of need for new nuclear plants.
Xcel must request a 20-year extension of the plant’s operating licenses from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2026, which may take 18-24 months to review. Reapproval may proceed faster in light of a May executive order encouraging the NRC to complete applications “to continue operating an existing reactor” within 12 months, and new reactors within 18 months.
Nuclear energy is reliable baseload power that ran, on average, 92.3 percent of the time in 2024. Contrast with solar photovoltaic panels, which ran only 23.4 percent of the time in 2024, and wind only 34.3 percent of the time. Nuclear also has the lowest material requirements per GW of capacity and actual generation, as well as the least land-use requirements per electricity generated.
Xcel’s press release points out the obvious (emphasis mine):
“As the only 24/7 carbon-free resource currently available, nuclear energy will play a foundational role in meeting our customers’ growing energy demand, supporting economic development, and ensuring energy security in the Upper Midwest,” said Ryan Long, president, Xcel Energy—Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. “We appreciate the Commission’s continued recognition of nuclear energy’s importance and the thoughtful input of many stakeholders, including the Prairie Island Indian Community, the City of Red Wing and Goodhue County.”
Wouldn’t it be beneficial to build more of the “only 24/7 carbon-free resource currently available” in Minnesota? The U.S. Department of Energy lists nine states that impose statewide moratoriums, but Minnesota is one of the harshest, with a ban on “new reactor construction outright.” Prairie Island and Monticello nuclear plants provide a fifth of Minnesota’s total in-state electricity generation. Prairie Island began operating in 1973 and is already 52 years old, and by 2050 it will be 77 years old. It would be wise to expand Minnesota’s nuclear capacity now instead of later.
If Minnesota hopes to meet its 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2040 mandate without devastating blackouts, it will need more nuclear power. Policymakers need to take another stab at repealing the nuclear moratorium in the next legislative session.
