Regulators in Minnesota endorse Prairie's Edge Casino in a supposedly audacious energy shutdown menace
In a recent turn of events, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has taken a firm stance against the Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association. The dispute revolves around the cooperative's threat to cut off power to the Prairie's Edge Casino Resort, owned by the Upper Sioux Community, if they activate a new 2.5 megawatt solar panel system.
The PUC, in a unanimous vote on July 24, has initiated an investigation into the matter. The commissioners have expressed concerns about the potential danger of cutting power to a public facility like the casino, which could endanger people who rely on air conditioning or medical devices.
The Upper Sioux Community, a tribal entity, built the multimillion-dollar solar array with the intention of lowering electricity bills and promoting clean energy. They assert that the solar array will not feed electricity back into the grid and will only serve the casino, making the utility's rules irrelevant in this case.
The Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association, a rural electric cooperative, has been criticised by commissioners for its adversarial stance. Commissioner John Tuma questioned whether the co-op felt it "had a patent on electricity", while Commissioner Audrey Partridge stated that the co-op had "lost [its] tether to the purpose of an electric utility".
Commissioner Joe Sullivan went as far as calling the utility's threat to cut off power to the Prairie's Edge Casino Resort "outrageous". The PUC's actions suggest a focus on the safety and well-being of the public, aligning with the state regulators' strong opposition to the utility company's threat.
The PUC's investigation may lead to the replacement of the Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association with a larger energy provider like Xcel Energy. The cooperative typically serves areas that larger, for-profit energy companies don't.
The dispute highlights tensions between tribal sovereignty and utility regulations. However, as of late July 2025, the regulatory authorities strongly support the tribe’s position and are prepared to take legal and administrative actions to prevent the co-op from shutting off power to the casino.
[1] Minnesota Star Tribune, "Minnesota regulators slam utility's threat to cut power over Prairie's Edge solar array", URL
[2] Minnesota Public Radio, "Minnesota regulators investigate utility's threat to cut power over Prairie's Edge solar array", URL
- The Upper Sioux Community, through its ownership of the Prairie's Edge Casino Resort, is embroiled in a solar energy dispute with the Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association.
- The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has expressed concern about the potential danger of the co-op cutting power to the casino, which could endanger those relying on air conditioning or medical devices.
- Despite the utility's threat, regulatory authorities support the tribe’s position and are prepared to take legal and administrative actions to prevent the co-op from shutting off power to the casino.
- The PUC's investigation could potentially lead to the replacement of the Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association with a larger energy provider like Xcel Energy.
