I repeatedly called Xcel’s customer service line for information. … Following Xcel’s instructions, I checked its electric outage map online periodically over the weekend. Saturday morning it indicated that 70,000 Twin Cities customers had experienced outages overnight. By Sunday morning the number was down to 15,000, which meant that we were among last in line for restoration. They could have told us that. It would have been useful to know.

Following up on the message above, Xcel sent me two more — the first alerting me at 12:43 p.m. that service would be restored by 10:00 p.m. and the second 50 minutes later advising me that service had been restored. I add these notes just to close the loop and document the “Customer Care” Xcel delivers — pursuing its own monetary green dream as it exploits Minnesota’s (insane) alternative energy green dream.