Xcel Energy just announced a 3-year plan for conserving energy in its Minnesota service area. Through the plan, which includes items like conservation kits for low-income customers and incentives like rebates for customers who install solar panels, Xcel expects to cut expected demand by320 megawatts of power and 2.4 million dekatherms of natural gas during the 3-year span. This will eliminate the need for a medium-sized conventional power plant that would emit 1 million metric tons of CO2.

In an article published by Reuters, an Xcel executive commented on the plan:

"The plan’s scope is significant, saving enough energy in three years to avoid the need to build one medium-sized power plant and its associated 1-million metric tons of carbon dioxide while saving our customers money," Judy Poferl, Xcel Energy regional vice president, said in the release.

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