A new report on the reliability of North America's electrical grid warns Minnesota could be at risk of an electricity shortage in the coming years.
The report from the North American Electrical Reliability Association says a region, including Minnesota, is likely to experience a shortfall in electricity supplies at the peak of an average summer or winter season.
President and CEO of the Minnesota Rural Electric Association Darrick Moe says the report does not mean an electricity shortage is imminent.
"This is something that regulators, policy makers, all of us, need to take seriously as a long term challenge and continuing to make sure that the power grid is reliable at all times," Moe explains.
He also says the report is intended to help guide utilities as they experience increased demand, and says there's no reason for alarm.
"It's certainly not a warning about, somebody should be concerned about power outages over the holiday season or any particular utility in the near term," Moe said. "It's looking at, how do we continue to meet these challenges in the long term going forward."
Moe says the report needs to be taken seriously by all utilities to make sure the power grid is reliable at all times.
The full report can be found here.