Dive Summary:

• The Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy reported Monday that its Monticello nuclear reactor has reached full power, having come back online after Xcel conducted $665 million in repairs.
• Minnesota regulators are now considering how much the utility can charge customers to pay for repairs double Xcel's initial budget. Xcel requested a 7.8% hike resulting in $209 million in annual revenue but an administrative judge recommended Xcel get only a 4.7%  increase.
• Xcel shut down Monticello for four months to replace aging pumps and other equipment to extend the 43-year-old reactor’s life through 2030 and boost power output. Xcel has defended the cost overruns, citing issues with schedule changes, vendors, evolving regulations and unexpected work.

From the article:

“[It] is a large, complex project with many intricate components that required changes from original plans,” Xcel’s chief nuclear officer, Timothy O’Connor, said in written testimony submitted to the regulators.