ST.PAUL, Minn. – The state Public Utilities Commission is struggling over who should pay for a multi-month failure at the Prairie Island nuclear station near Red Wing. Among options: Shareholders in Xcel, the plant operator. Another option is Xcel customers through a rate hike. The total shutdown began in October and cost Xcel an estimated $9 million to $12 million to fix. In addition the revenue loss has been estimated by state regulators at $38 million, mostly to buy electricity from other generation suppliers to make up for lost Prairie Island production
Earlier: Belated news: Accident idled Xcel’s nuclear plant