Iocco’s nuclear lobbying for Xcel
May 15th, 2026
When I heard Mayor Iocco talking about his trip to North Dakota to tell legislators what it’s like to host a nuclear plant, my ears went up on alert. I quickly filed a Data Practices Act Request, because it sure looked stinky to me!
Particularly given who’s a “citizen” member of the committee Pam Gorman Prochaska, Xcel Energy Services. Excel Services Corporation is making a bid to be a conslutant to this Committee. Excel Services Corporation v. Xcel Energy Services??? What relation?
Here are a couple things that popped out. At the Council meeting, he said he’s been to North Dakota about nuclear three times.
First document, these missives from OCTOBER meeting, planning by Xcel, what to say:
And asking for his expenses to reimburse:
And dinner with the group:
Remember this post about a month ago? That was not long after Iocco had discussed his North Dakota trip at a Council meeting:
RW Mayor promoting nuclear in ND! April 21st, 2026
Per their minutes of the North Dakota committee, here’s what our Mayor said — compare it to the video and rough transcript below:
Well, that’s odd. “Most negative feedback from the community relates to having a power company in general, rather than to the nuclear nature of the facility.” Oh,right… he also had some bizarre things to say about comments by those opposing at the Public Utilities Commission meeting! “And some of the facts and figures from the opposing folks, those are not true facts, those are made up, how many people are dying every day in Red Wing because of the plant there.” Really, it’s on the video, toward the end.
And you’d think they’d have someone from Prairie Island Indian Community to talk about life next to the plant… but NOOOOOOO…. not mentioned by name, only that “the plant” is across the road from “Treasure Island Resort & Casino.” There are homes closer.
HERE’S THE VIDEO, Iocco’s March presentation starts at 11:04. And here’s what he had to say — accuracy is close but not quite 100%:
Once more with feeling — note that Iocco does not even know how many megawatts the Prairie Island nuclear reactors generate.
And Xcel loved it:
