Xcel Says Natural Gas Customers in MN Can Turn the Heat Back to 68°F

Xcel Energy advised its residential natural-gas customers Monday that they can turn their thermostats back to 68°F, after a pipeline explosion in Canada that led that utility to ask for conservation measures. 

Taylors Falls was among the areas in Minnesota that Xcel identified as being potentially affected. Earlier, the utility company said the likelihood of an impact on the natural gas supply to the Twin Cities east metro communities was "very remote." 

As of 11 a.m. Monday, Wisconsin customers remained under the requested conservation measures, which also included avoiding use of gas appliances. St. Croix County was one of four counties in Wisconsin Xcel identified as possible impact areas. Other Wisconsin natural-gas suppliers issued similar requests. 

Here is the full 11 a.m. Monday statement posted online by Xcel. For earlier statements, click here.

Progress continued today on restoring normal natural gas transmission service to parts of Xcel Energy’s service territory in the Upper Midwest, and the company has lifted conservation appeals for some customers. Natural gas is flowing to the region after operations resumed Sunday on one of two pipelines that was shut down for inspection Saturday after a third TransCanada line was ruptured in a blast just south of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

In order to safely return the system to full capacity, Xcel Energy is lifting its conservation appeal in a controlled fashion. Customers in North Dakota and Minnesota immediately may begin dialing their thermostats back up and using natural gas appliances. Conservation appeal for customers in western Wisconsin is expect at about noon today.

Xcel Energy is notifying about 100,000 customers in the areas that were most at risk – eastern North Dakota, northwestern and central Minnesota and western Wisconsin – that conservation appeals have been or soon will be lifted.