The owner of Minnesota’s nuclear power plants has no plans to build a new one, but wants flexibility to do it if needed.

Noting state law bans nuclear plant construction, Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, has sponsored a bill to overturn Minnesota’s nuclear power plant moratorium.

It is time to give Minnesota utilities the ability to consider nuclear power, Kiffmeyer said. “We appreciate the solid base of energy it provides.”

Nuclear plants near Red Wing and Monticello provide a significant amount of Minnesota’s electrical power. Their licenses to operate end in the early 2030s, and if a new plant were to be considered, planning would need to begin soon.

An Xcel official said nuclear power is a good response to increasing rules to limit fossil fuel use.

Randy Evans said Xcel has no plans to build a new plant, “but at the bottom of the issue is we believe it does not make sense to leave any (energy) sources off the table.”

Nuclear foes said new plants cost too much, builders cannot find adequate financing and they offer too much safety risk.

“Nuclear power plants remain an unacceptable power source,” said Bill Grant of the Minnesota Commerce Department.

Since the last Minnesota nuclear power plant started in 1973 and the last coal plant began producing power in 1987, the state has added wind, natural gas and biomass power, Grant said. Now, he said, the state is well positioned to get electricity from more natural gas plants and Canadian hydroelectric facilities.

The issue returned to the Minnesota Legislature Tuesday for the first time since Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant was seriously damaged by a tsunami created by a major earthquake March 11, 2011.

A Senate energy committee heard Kiffmeyer’s bill and one specifically lifting the moratorium on the Monticello plant, but took no action.

Chairman John Marty, D-Roseville, predicted that there would be attempts to amend an overall energy bill in his committee and the full Senate to strip the ban.