Willmar City Council & Municipal Utilities Joint Meeting 10/5/2026

At the October 5, 2026, joint special meeting of the Willmar City Council and Municipal Utilities Commission, Missouri River Energy Services (MRES) representatives presented a proposed 10-year extension of Willmar’s S1 supplemental power supply agreement, extending its term through 2067. MRES said the agreement obligates it to supply Willmar’s supplemental power needs, including future load growth, and enables long-term resource planning and bond financing. Proposed revisions also move the date for electing a maximum rate of delivery back 10 years, define environmental attributes, and add provisions concerning large loads and the use of tax-exempt bond-financed resources. Representatives said the bonds are MRES/Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency obligations, not guarantees by Willmar. No council vote or approval is recorded in the transcript.

MRES also described its generation portfolio, member services, and cost-based rates. It reported that its board approved a 4.2% rate increase for the year, reduced from a previously anticipated 4.7%, citing financial stewardship and gas prepayments; this was an MRES board action, not a Willmar spending vote. Discussion included the agreement’s effect on Willmar’s flexibility, rate impacts, and options if the city’s utility or service territory changed. No contract award or purchasing decision by the council is shown.