ST/ PAUL, Minn. – An advocacy group, the Citizens Utility Board, said that expensive projects by leading Minnesota natural gas suppliers will boost consumer prices in the near future. The group said that CenterPoint Energy, Minnesota Energy Resources, and Xcel Energy have tripled their capital budgets since 2013 and are on track to top $1 billion a year by 2030. Annie Levenson-Falk, executive director, said the inevitable result will be rate hikes. If consumer consumption declines, rates will skyrocket to make up the loss, she said.
