MIDWESTERN BRIEFING ON AMERICA’S POWER PLAN Summary Report

The report details a September 2013 briefing on America’s Power Plan (APP), focusing on the transition to a high-renewables future in the U.S. Midwest. It examines the need for new utility business models to handle decarbonization and distributed energy resources (DERs), highlights Minnesota's legislative progress on solar and renewable standards, and discusses Xcel Energy's experience integrating variable wind power. Key recommendations include adopting performance-based regulation, streamlining 'soft costs' for solar PV, and integrating distribution planning into state resource processes.

• The U.S. DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Renewable Electricity Futures Study found that existing renewable technologies and a flexible electric system could provide 80% of total U.S. electricity generation by 2050.
• The Midwestern region is primarily composed of regulated vertically-integrated electric utilities, with wind capacity in the MISO region increasing ten-fold over five years to reach 12,238 MW by May 2013.
• Minnesota has implemented significant energy policies, including a Renewable Electricity Standard of 25% by 2025 (30% for Xcel Energy) and a 2013 Solar Energy Standard adding 1.5% of generation from solar to the state RES.
• Traditional cost-of-service regulatory structures provide few incentives for innovation; the report suggests moving toward performance-based incentive regulation where rewards and penalties are tied to public policy outcomes.
• Distributed energy resources (DERs) can be more effectively deployed in the Midwest by incorporating 'integrated distribution planning' into state integrated resource planning (IRP) processes to identify system 'hot spots' and voltage issues.
• The cost of solar PV in the U.S. fell from over $10/W in 2000 to under $5/W by 2013, with 'soft costs'—such as permitting, inspection, and customer acquisition—now making up a significant portion of the remaining costs.
• Xcel Energy has successfully integrated variable wind by participating in regional energy markets like MISO and SPP and is developing an advanced wind forecasting system with the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

APA

Energy Innovation (2013). MIDWESTERN BRIEFING ON AMERICA’S POWER PLAN Summary Report. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Midwestern_APP_SummaryReport.pdf

Chicago

Energy Innovation. MIDWESTERN BRIEFING ON AMERICA’S POWER PLAN Summary Report. 2013. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Midwestern_APP_SummaryReport.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Energy Innovation |title=MIDWESTERN BRIEFING ON AMERICA’S POWER PLAN Summary Report |date=September 2013 |url=https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Midwestern_APP_SummaryReport.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{energyinnovation2013midwestern, author = {{Energy Innovation}}, title = {{MIDWESTERN BRIEFING ON AMERICA’S POWER PLAN Summary Report}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, year = {2013}, month = sep, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Midwestern_APP_SummaryReport.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }