Businesses and business groups spent more than $14 million of the $59 million spent on lobbying last year, according to new reports from the Minnesota campaign finance agency.

Topping the list of big business spenders: Xcel Energy spent $2.4 million; the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce spent $2 million, the Minnesota Business Partnership spent $980,000, Minneapolis Radiation Oncology Physicians spent $900,000 and the Coalition of Minnesota Businesses spent $748,000.

For the Minneapolis oncology group, oft a big spender, and the Coalition of Minnesota Businesses, run by Minnesota Business Partnership executive director Charlie Weaver, spent more last year than they had previously spent.

Unions and government groups also popped up big on the list of spenders. Unions spent more than $2 million on lobbying, with the Minnesota AFL-CIO leading the pack with $820,000 spending on lobbyist. "We want to Work for Minnesota," a union group that sprung up during the 2011 government shutdown over the summer, made its first appearance on the big spending group with $300,000.

Also making a first appearance among the big spenders: the Alliance for a Better Minnesota. The Alliance, which played a big role supporting Democrats in the 2010 governors race and plans to do the same in the 2012 legislative races, spent less than $50,000 in 2010 and 2009. In 2011, it spent $670,000. The group, which has backing from unions and Gov. Mark Dayton's ex-wife, ran an ad campaign during the shutdown to pressure Republicans to raise taxes.

The campaign finance board's records currently lack numbers for lobbying by traditionally big spending group: The Minnesota Vikings. Although reports on 2011 spending were due on March 15, the team's lobbying numbers are not yet listed on the state's website.