Minnesota Power seeks to export electricity

Summary#

ALLETE, Inc. d/b/a Minnesota Power applied on August 22, 2024 to the Canada Energy Regulator to export up to 1 200 000 MWh of electricity each year for 10 years. The Commission of the Canada Energy Regulator is asking for public comments before it decides whether to issue a permit or move the file to a licensing process.

What it does#

• The applicant, ALLETE, Inc. d/b/a Minnesota Power, asked the Commission of the Canada Energy Regulator under Division 2 of Part 7 of the Canadian Energy Regulator Act to export up to 1 200 000 MWh (combined firm and interruptible) per year for 10 years.
• The Commission is seeking views from the public and interested parties before it acts.
• The application is available on the CER website. The applicant will email a copy on request to rttraders@allete.com.
• Written submissions must be filed online and emailed to the applicant by September 30, 2024.
• The applicant may file answers to certain submissions by October 15, 2024.
• For process questions, the Commission’s Secretary can be reached at 403‑292‑4800 or secretary@cer-rec.gc.ca; the CER prefers filings through its e-filing tool.

Who's affected#

• Electricity exporters and traders, including ALLETE, Inc. d/b/a Minnesota Power (the applicant).
• Utilities, provincial power system operators, and large commercial or industrial electricity buyers who compete in or rely on regional supply.
• Governments and regulators in provinces that might lose supply to export markets.
• It is not clear from the notice which province the electricity would come from, so specific local communities or provinces that would be affected are not named in the application.

Why it matters#

• If approved, a permit would allow a large volume (1 200 000 MWh/year) of Canadian electricity to be sold to the United States for up to 10 years, which could affect local supply or prices where the power is sourced.
• The Commission is specifically asking whether export would affect provinces other than the one supplying the electricity and whether Canadian buyers were given a fair chance to buy the power first. Those issues matter to provincial energy planners and large Canadian buyers.
• This is an application, not an approval. Public comments by September 30, 2024 can influence the regulator’s decision.