Minnesota Attorney General Ellison reached a settlement with Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association resolving allegations of deceptive and unfair practices, including disconnecting a customer's electricity despite the customer's need for life-sustaining medical equipment and failing to properly notify customers of consumer protections or offer appropriate payment plans. Under the consent judgment, the cooperative must provide separate disconnection notices, offer written payment plans, maintain records for AG oversight, and forgive amounts owed by the affected consumer.
Minnesota Valley must provide separate and distinct notices regarding potential disconnection, add information and resources to its website, stop conditioning payment plans on energy assistance, offer written payment plans, maintain records enabling Attorney General oversight, amend C.W.'s payment agreement, and forgive all amounts C.W. owed.
Although not a data privacy action, utility and service-provider agreements should be reviewed for clauses governing service termination and disconnection notice requirements, particularly provisions addressing customers with medical needs or other vulnerable populations. In-house teams at utilities or vendors serving regulated industries should verify that customer-facing terms align with statutory notice obligations (e.g., Minn. Stat. 216B.098), that payment plan and energy assistance terms do not create unlawful hurdles, and that record-retention clauses support regulator oversight and reporting requirements.
Entity
Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/09/10_MN-Valley.asp
MN Valley Cooperative Consent Judgment
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/docs/MN-Valley-Cooperative_Consent-Judgment.pdf
MN Valley Cooperative Complaint
https://ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/docs/MN-Valley-Cooperative_Complaint.pdf
Minnesota Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/
"settlement with Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association"
"reached a [settlement with Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/docs/MN-Valley-Cooperative_Consent-Judgment.pdf)"
"Minnesota law clearly requires"
"its failure to properly notify its customers of consumer protections available to them by law, and its failure to offer appropriate payment plans"
"Minnesota Valley has agreed to provide separate and distinct notices to individuals regarding potential disconnection, to provide additional information and resources via its website, to stop using energy assistance as a hurdle customers had to jump in order to engage the cooperative in a payment plan, to offer written payment plans, and to maintain records enabling Attorney General oversight"
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued a consumer alert explaining how veterans, their families, and others who believe Trajector Holdings owes them money can file claims in the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The release announces no privacy violation, enforcement penalty, or remedy against the company.
Minnesota and 39 other attorneys general filed a notice in Character Technologies, Inc.’s bankruptcy proceedings raising concerns about the company’s safety and privacy practices and the sensitive information it holds, including children’s private chatbot conversations. The states seek protections for consumers in any sale or transfer of the business or assets; the filing does not impose a penalty or establish a final remedy.
The Minnesota Attorney General filed an Assurance of Discontinuance requiring Auto Tech Donations, Inc. to dissolve after finding that its solicitations and governance did not comply with state requirements. Its president was banned from forming or serving as an officer or director of nonprofits and must provide restitution to donors whose vehicles he resold for personal benefit.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and a coalition of 26 states, counties, and cities filed a lawsuit challenging NHTSA’s rule weakening fuel-economy standards for new cars and light trucks. The coalition alleges the rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Energy Policy and Conservation Act; the press release describes a lawsuit filing, not a monetary penalty or final judgment.
A federal court granted summary judgment to Minnesota AG Keith Ellison and a coalition of 22 attorneys general in their lawsuit challenging the CFPB Acting Director’s decision not to seek funding. The court held the refusal unlawful and required the current Acting Director to request necessary funding so the CFPB can continue operating.
$35.0M
Minnesota, the FTC, and a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general reached a proposed settlement with Corteva over alleged loyalty programs that restricted pesticide distributors from buying lower-cost generic products. Corteva must end the challenged practices, comply with restrictions for 10 years, and pay $35 million to the state plaintiffs, including $1.25 million to Minnesota.