HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014 09-17 Maplewood Home Depot may switch from Xcel to North St. Paul power MAPLEWOOD REVIEW Maplewood Home Depot may switch from Xcel to North St. Paul power
Tim Feklis "It's en up to the ,or tong with an territory"
for
SEP 1 Z,Q14 Renew staff written consent,or just going with their territory"
Xcel Energy did not disclose the amount that Home
A discovery by North St.Paul city staff has led to Depot pays for its electricity annually,and due to the
some interesting negotiations over who has the right ongoing negotiations,the city of North St.Paul did
to provide electricity to-and receive payments from not disclose the revenues it hopes to receive by adding
--the Home Depot store in Maplewood. the cavernous retail store to its list of commercial util-
Recently,city workers realized that Home Depot, IP _ ,_. ity customers.BMW
located on White Bear Avenue just north of Highway ,,, y'. However,in a July meeting discussing the issue,the
36,lies in North St.Paul's utility jurisdiction.This a council was told by staff that Home Depot"would
means that while Xcel Energy has been providing likely be a top five consumer"of electric service.At
electricity and billing the big-box store for nearly two that meeting,Brennan also urged the council to pur-
decades,the city of North St.Paul is now in the nego- sue the"potential significant customer."
tiations to assume control. Tm Fakiis/Review staff North St. Paul is a member of the Minnesota
"Really,the way the law is set up,it really isn't a Home Depot is located on White Beat Avenue in
customer-choice situation," said Kathleen Brennan, Maplewood.North St.Paul and Xcel Energy represen-
an attorney working on the case for North St.Paul. tatives are in talks over electric utility control. see Home Depot on page 5
Home Depot/City holds firm
continued from page 1 most would assume. map that falls entirely
"It happens from time under North St. Paul's
Municipal Power to time," she said. "And utility coverage area,
Agency, a grouping of sometimes, it really is and the only one that
a dozen mainly outer- a case of a handshake is being considered for
ring suburban and out- deal with no written any sort of switch.
state cities that pool to document to back it up. North St. Paul city
produce and purchase The state requires writ- manager Jason Ziemer
power. The MMPA ten consent." said that the major-
states it provides power According to Bren- ity of the negotiation
to more than 57,000 nan, it is possible to work had been con-
homes and businesses. allow another utility in ducted through the law
Xcel Energy, a com- your service territory, firms representing the
pang operating in eight but the law requires city and Xcel, but he
states, serves 1.2 mil- consent. The state recalled the whole thing
lion electricity custom- didn't find any written was a bit of a surprise
ers in Minnesota. consent to back Xcel when the error was
The building was providing electricity to first noticed.
built in 1995 and Home the Home Depot store "It's really something
Depot management was instead of North St. that was discovered
unaware that the store Paul. that we've let Kath-
was located in the juris She said they are cur- leen Brennan work on
diction of North St. rently in the stage of the majority of," he
Paul's utility service, evaluating the situa- said. "She's handled
and, apparently, the tion to figure out when stuff like this before,
folks at City Hall were this happened, and why and knows the ins and
in the dark about it as North St. Paul wasn't outs."
well. the original electricity Nothing has been
The oversight only service provider. That finalized to this point.
came to light earlier has been the main focus The city of North St.
this year. of talks between Xcel Paul handles water and
"We aren't sure what and city representa- other utilities for Home
happened, frankly " tives. Depot, but the electric
Brennan said. While the jurisdiction issue continues to loom
boundary approaches large.
Cub Foods outside nearby stores like Cub
jurisdiction Foods, Maplewood Psy- You can reach Tim
In a written state- chology, BrightStar Faklis at 651-748-7814,
went, Xcel Energy Care, and PetSmart, at tfaklis @lillienews.
said, "It was recently Home Depot is the only corn, or on Twitter @
brought to our atten- in the area on the tfaklisnews
tion that there is a
boundary question in