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Utilities

Minnesota is one of the few states to exempt energy used in the manufacturing process from sales tax. The exemption includes natural gas, electricity and other utilities, providing bottom-line savings to heavy energy users.

Natural Gas Utilities

Minnesota Energy Resources

Throughout the Rochester MSA, natural gas service is provided by Minnesota Energy Resources. Gas rates are available in the classifications of residential, commercial, small volume interruptible, large volume interruptible, and industrial firm. For more information, contact Minnesota Energy Resources at: www.minnesotaenergyresources.com

Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy is a major U.S. electric and natural gas company, providing energy to customers in Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. In Minnesota, Xcel serves 1, 230,524 electricity customers and 436,791 natural gas customers. Xcel provides natural gas to cities and townships, unincorporated communities, and wholesale customers including Wabasha and Lake City which are part of the Rochester area.  Xcel’s website address is:  www.excelenergy.com

Electrical Utilities

People’s Energy Cooperative

People’s Energy Cooperative provides electric services to nearly 20,000 members in six area counties including: Dodge, Fillmore, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona. peoplesenergy.coop

Rochester Public Utilities (RPU)

The Rochester MSA is offered by the following electrical utilities. The city of Rochester operates its own utility, Rochester Public Utilities(RPU), with power supplied by Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA) and its own generation plants. Other local communities within the Rochester MSA also have their own utility including the cities of Lanesboro, Preston, Spring Valley, and Kasson. www.rpu.org

MiEnergy Cooperative

MiEnergy Cooperative was formed in 2017 from the merger of Hawkeye REC and Tri-County Electric Cooperative.

Hawkeye REC was founded in 1936 and since then the membership has covered a range of home, farm, business and commercial consumers in Chickasaw, Howard and Winneshiek counties in Iowa. Before the merger with Tri-County Electric Cooperative, HREC had about 6,700 electrical services.

Tri-County Electric Cooperative was founded in 1936 when power was not available to rural residents. Local citizens banded together to build lines going out to their homes and farms. For 80 years, TEC served three counties in Minnesota including Winona, Houston and Fillmore and parts of Olmsted and Mower counties and also served portions of Howard, Winneshiek and Allamakee counties in Iowa. Before the merger with Hawkeye REC, TEC had about 15,000 electrical services.

Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy provides electrical service in the Rochester area for the cities of Wabasha, Kellogg, Lake City, Mantorville, Claremont, Byron, Millville, Mazeppa and Pine Island.  Xcel Energy’s website is:  www.xcelenergy.com

Water & Wastewater

Most cities within the Rochester MSA provide their own water pumping and distribution system. A listing of web addresses for each city can be found here:

Olmsted County

Wabasha County

Fillmore County

Dodge County

Communication Providers