Minnesota Power charges customers for the costs of
providing electric service, including investments in
power plants, transmission and distribution lines, and
operating and maintaining Minnesota Power’s electric
system.

The table to the right shows average percentages
of monthly service costs related to the generation,
transmission, and distribution of electricity for four
major customer categories:

• Residential (Res)—household and farm usage;
  
• Commercial (Comm)—small to medium service industries
  and manufacturing businesses;
  
• Industrial (Indust)—large manufacturing and processing
  facilities; and
  
• Lighting (Light)—outdoor/area and street/highway lighting.

The average percentages are calculated by dividing
Minnesota Power’s total cost to provide electric
service among the generation, transmission, and
distribution components.