Utility commissioners in Minnesota have severely reprimanded a rural electrical company after it threatened to cut power to the Upper Sioux Community’s casino.

The threat came when the tribe revealed their plans to use solar panels on their own land to help power the venue. Almost immediately, a complaint was made regarding the threat, which was delivered by Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light and Power Association, and the state Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to investigate it due to the allegations that the threat was not only illegal but also discriminatory.

It makes sense that the commission has reacted so severely to the threat, as the casino is much-loved in the community and is one of only twenty land-based casinos in Minnesota, all of which are similarly owned by Native American tribes.

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According to the tribe, the Minnesota Valley electrical company threatened to completely shut off power to the casino if they made use of the solar panels they had installed. Their reasoning for this threat was their claim that using the solar panels would be a breach of the law, as it would be providing power in their service area.

However, the Upper Sioux Community, who own the casino and the land upon which it has been built, had rightly pointed out that they are a sovereign nation, and are not legally bound to comply with this demand.

The Minnesota state Public Utilities Commission certainly has not taken the threat Minnesota Valley made to the Upper Sioux Community’s Casino lightly. In fact, they have suggested they are considering taking away the electrical company’s right to provide the tribe with the electrical power they need to run their casinos, and instead giving the right to another provider, such as Xcel Energy. If they were to go through with this, they would be taking a major source of profit from the electrical company.

On top of this, the commission has also spoken to state attorneys and requested that immediate legal action be taken against the electrical company, should they make any move to cut off the casino’s power. At the time of writing, the Minnesota Valley electrical company has made no further comment. As for the Upper Sioux Community, their tribal spokesman is currently on leave for ceremonial purposes and wouldn’t be able to comment until his return.