I hope you're staying warm. This weather is crazy. For some, there are problems and there are ways we can ALL help.
Xcel Energy has issued an urgent request and is asking that customers temporarily reduce their thermostat to 63° if possible through Thursday as high demand for natural gas has put a significant strain on the system.
"We are experiencing a significant strain on our natural gas system due to extreme weather conditions. We need those in Becker, Big Lake, Chisago City, Lindstrom, Princeton, and Isanti to reduce use of natural gas."
Xcel expanded the request to ALL customers later in the afternoon.
"We are under an extreme weather event here in Minnesota, we haven't seen temperatures like these in more than two decades. It has put a test on our natural gas system, and unfortunately there was an area where we just weren't able to maintain pressure, the system was not able to respond accordingly,"