In response to a Star Tribune report of Xcel Energy seeking a nearly 20% increase in residential energy bills, Connexus Energy issued the following statement:

“Members are asking what to expect in 2022, as Connexus Energy has achieved 4 years of flat rates. And though we are budgeting for 2022 in a rising cost environment we are trying to achieve another strong result,” said Greg Ridderbusch, CEO. “Connexus’ mix of modern electric grid technologies, the hard work of our staff, and a well-designed and maintained system empowers us to provide nationally competitive reliability at an affordable cost.”

By embracing innovations including grid-scale battery storage, more than $25 million of local solar generation, customer-centric demand response programs, and automated metering infrastructure, Connexus has kept retail rates to our members flat while progressing with greening the grid.

“We’re encouraged by Connexus’ commitment to demand response, battery storage, and local generation to help manage energy costs and prevent rate increases,” said Annie Levenson-Falk, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota (CUB). “We look forward to working with Connexus to ensure that all members can afford their electricity service.” Formed in 2016, the Citizens Utility Board is Minnesota’s nonprofit advocate exclusively focused on being the voice for, and resource to, regular Minnesota utility consumers.

Connexus is Minnesota’s largest electric cooperative and one of the 20 largest retail electric cooperatives nationwide, serving more than 320,000 people (140,000 meters) in all or parts of seven Minnesota counties north of the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. As a member-owned cooperative, Connexus returns annual profits to its members in a program it calls Cash Back. In 2021, Connexus paid more than $8.4 million back to its member owners through the Cash Back program.