XTRAO C T O B E R 1 , 2 0 1 6 V O L U M E 1 6 • I S S U E 9

SOLAR EXPANSION

Company poised to expand portfolio

Company poised to expand portfolio

Company poised to

Content

4

6

8

12

15

17

20

24

26

AgreementsSettlement agreements helping forge new future.

Rare ArtifactsMore than 25,000 artifacts found along transmission line route.

ExpansionA solar power expansion is under way across the service territory.

MaritzCXNew customer experience measurement platform in place.

TornadoA Colorado twister takes down more than a mile of line.

Cold SpringsFire restoration effort com-pleted quickly after blaze.

National RodeoCompany hosts �rst national event since creating the competition.

CampusNew headquarters campus will help usher in a new Nicollet Mall.

PeopleThe most recent Friends We’ll Miss and Retirements.

On the CoverXcel Energy is poised to expand its already world class, solar power portfolio by the end of the year. Pictured here in the foreground is a new solar facility adjacent to Chero-kee Generating Station in Pueblo, Colo. At upper left, another portion of the facil-ity is seen under construc-tion. For more information, please see page eight.

Colorado

Minnesota

6

4

8

15

2017

24

(Editor’s Note: Ben Fowke, chairman, president and CEO, periodically writes a blog on XpressNet, as well as other articles and communications. Xtra features Fowke’s comments on a recurring basis to share his thoughts with a wider audience.)

At Xcel Energy, we have a great story to tell. We deliver safe, clean, reliable energy to millions of customers 24x7.

We’re so good at delivering that our customers take it for granted. They can’t see the energy we provide, and the rare time they think about it is when the power is out. Not a great recipe for building customer loyalty.That’s why I love our new advertising campaign theme “Always Delivering.” By asking our customers to re-imagine energy – as if it were dropped off in a red box on their porch each morning – we are taking important steps to build our brand and make the invisible visible. Telling our story is much more than an advertising campaign, however. It’s communicating effectively to stakeholders using easy-to-understand language.

You’ve heard me mention the importance of simpli-fying our processes to make it easier to do business with us. The same logic applies to how we communicate.

We don’t serve rate payers – we serve customers!We tend to use archaic industry terminology

with our voices and our keyboards. Sometimes we get bogged down in every business nuance instead of keeping the discussion at a high level. Less clutter usually leads to clarity.

In most instances, I prefer the “less is more” approach. For example:• We deliver safe, clean, reliable energy at an

affordable price.• We are the No. 1 utility wind energy provider in the

country for 12 consecutive years.• We have 150 energy-ef�ciency programs to save

our customers money.• We want to be our customers’ preferred and trusted

energy provider of choice. If you can say it, or write it, in one page instead of three pages, do it. Or a few words instead of a few paragraphs. Like: Always Delivering.

Always Delivering

CEO Message

“By asking our customers to re-imagine energy – as if it were

dropped off in a red box on their porch each morning – we are taking

important steps to build our brand and make the invisible visible.”

4 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 2016

Colorado

Minnesota

Settlement Agreements

Settlement agreement �led in Minnesota multi-year rate caseParties reach settlement on key Colorado energy issues

Xcel Energy is forging a new energy future for itself and its customers through innovative and groundbreaking settlement agreements. The company’s �rst-ever multiyear rate case was approved in Colorado in 2012, and since then another has followed in the state. Now, two major settlement agreements are before commissions in Colorado and Minnesota. “The agreements help our customers better anticipate their cost of electricity over the next several years,” said Aakash Chandarana, vice president of Rates and Regulatory Affairs, Xcel Energy – Minnesota. “And the settlements help the company manage its business over a longer time frame,” added Alice Jackson, regional vice president of

Rates and Regulatory Affairs, Xcel Energy – Colorado. However, the agreements also create the need to further improve productivity and control costs, they added, as the company continues to invest in its infrastructure to provide reliable service. “While the rate increases are helpful, employees’ continued efforts to manage costs and improve productivity will be more important than ever,” Jackson said. “The great news is these settlements also signal strong working relationships between us and those we collaborate with to reach an agreement,” Chandarana added. For more on the individual agreements, please see the related articles below.

Xcel Energy recently signed a settlement agreement with virtually all of the intervening parties in its multi-year rate case in Minnesota. The agreement, �led with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC), includes all revenue require-ments for the years 2016 to 2020. “This settlement agreement will enable us to continue to invest in clean, reliable electric service for our customers, modernize our system and continue to deliver carbon-free energy at our nuclear plants,” said Aakash Chandarana, vice president of Rates and Regulatory Affairs, Xcel Energy – Minnesota. “We’re pleased to have worked collaboratively with stakeholders throughout this mediation process.” The settlement agreement is still subject to commission approval, and there are several steps to be taken prior �nalizing the rate case, he said. Settlement agreement details include:• Agreement on rate increases between 2016 and 2019. A 2.47

percent increase in 2016; 1.97 percent in 2017; no increase in 2018; and a 1.65 percent increase in 2019.

• A return on equity of 9.2 percent and an equity ratio of 52.5 percent.

• Continued use of existing rate riders.• Deferral of up to $28 million in property taxes from 2016 (above

2015 levels) to 2018 and 2019.• Another rate request not proposed until at least 2020.• LED street-lighting capital costs deferred to next rate case.• Inclusion of a bill-payment assistance program for customers

with medical needs. Overall, the multi-year agreement bene�ts Xcel Energy customers and company �nances by providing four years of revenue

In what is the largest proposed agreement of its kind in Colorado history, Xcel Energy and numerous other parties recently reached a wide-reaching settlement agreement that will help set the course for the state’s energy future.

“This agreement allows us to meet our customers’ expectations by giving them more control over their energy choices,” said Alice Jackson, regional vice president of Rates and Regulatory Affairs, Xcel Energy – Colorado. “It also will bring more renewable and carbon-free energy to Colorado through the use of new technologies. And it will provide affordable and reliable energy to further power the state’s economy.” In �lings with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Xcel Energy and 22 of 26 interveners agreed – in total or in part – on a global settlement on three recent Xcel Energy �lings, including the company’s Phase II Electric Rate Case, Solar*Connect and its 2017 Renewable Energy Plan.

Jackson praised the effort of all parties on the settlement, noting that it represents one of the most comprehensive and complex agree-ments of its kind, and involved signers representing all 1.4 million Xcel Energy customers in the state. The settlement will go before the CPUC for approval, and parties anticipate hearings on the settlement to take place in October, with a decision by the end of 2016.

Under its Phase II Electric Rate Case, the company had proposed improvements to its current electricity pricing to make customer’s bills more transparent and understandable. The company’s goal is to provide enough �exibility to allow customers more options for their energy needs, Jackson said, while allowing them to take advantage of new and emerging technologies.

As part of the settlement, Xcel Energy and parties agreed to begin a transition and test new rate designs for its residential

customers. Those include:• Residential Energy-Based “Time of Use” (TOU) and Time Differentiated

Rate Programs – Xcel Energy would offer two new, voluntary programs for up to 20,000 customers in 2017, 34,000 customers in 2018 and 48,000 customers in 2019. These programs essentially offer lower energy rates when the cost of providing electric service is lower, primarily due to a lower demand for electricity.

• Evaluation of the Programs – At the end of 2019, the company will present the CPUC with the outcome of the Residential Energy-Based TOU program. Provided the analysis of the program shows customer bene�ts, all residential customers would transition to energy-based TOU billing some time in 2020.

• Battery Storage – Xcel Energy would institute a process for bat-tery-storage interconnections to take advantage of the emerging technology, with the potential for environmental and price bene�ts, provided that they meet certain safety and technical requirements.

• Grid Use Charge – Xcel Energy would withdraw its grid-use charge as originally �led.

In terms of the Solar*Connect Program, Xcel Energy would be allowed to pursue its previously proposed program, but under a new name, “Renewable*Connect.” The Renewable*Connect efforts would call for a new, 50-megawatt solar resource as a new customer choice option. Lastly, concerning the Renewable Energy Plan, Xcel Energy had initially proposed its 2017 plan to address acquisition of resources from 2017 to 2019, including rooftop solar and community solar gardens. Under terms of the settlement, Xcel Energy and parties agreed to the expansion of the Solar*Rewards and Solar*Rewards Community Programs. In all, the program expansion would result in a maximum of 342 megawatts of new solar between 2017 and 2019.

5 OCTOBER 1, 2016

Colorado

Minnesota

Settlement Agreements

Settlement agreement �led in Minnesota multi-year rate case

Xcel Energy is forging a new energy future for itself and its customers through innovative and groundbreaking settlement agreements. The company’s �rst-ever multiyear rate case was approved in Colorado in 2012, and since then another has followed in the state. Now, two major settlement agreements are before commissions in Colorado and Minnesota. “The agreements help our customers better anticipate their cost of electricity over the next several years,” said Aakash Chandarana, vice president of Rates and Regulatory Affairs, Xcel Energy – Minnesota. “And the settlements help the company manage its business over a longer time frame,” added Alice Jackson, regional vice president of

Rates and Regulatory Affairs, Xcel Energy – Colorado. However, the agreements also create the need to further improve productivity and control costs, they added, as the company continues to invest in its infrastructure to provide reliable service. “While the rate increases are helpful, employees’ continued efforts to manage costs and improve productivity will be more important than ever,” Jackson said. “The great news is these settlements also signal strong working relationships between us and those we collaborate with to reach an agreement,” Chandarana added. For more on the individual agreements, please see the related articles below.

Xcel Energy recently signed a settlement agreement with virtually all of the intervening parties in its multi-year rate case in Minnesota. The agreement, �led with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC), includes all revenue require-ments for the years 2016 to 2020. “This settlement agreement will enable us to continue to invest in clean, reliable electric service for our customers, modernize our system and continue to deliver carbon-free energy at our nuclear plants,” said Aakash Chandarana, vice president of Rates and Regulatory Affairs, Xcel Energy – Minnesota. “We’re pleased to have worked collaboratively with stakeholders throughout this mediation process.” The settlement agreement is still subject to commission approval, and there are several steps to be taken prior �nalizing the rate case, he said. Settlement agreement details include:• Agreement on rate increases between 2016 and 2019. A 2.47

percent increase in 2016; 1.97 percent in 2017; no increase in 2018; and a 1.65 percent increase in 2019.

• A return on equity of 9.2 percent and an equity ratio of 52.5 percent.

• Continued use of existing rate riders.• Deferral of up to $28 million in property taxes from 2016 (above

2015 levels) to 2018 and 2019.• Another rate request not proposed until at least 2020.• LED street-lighting capital costs deferred to next rate case.• Inclusion of a bill-payment assistance program for customers

with medical needs. Overall, the multi-year agreement bene�ts Xcel Energy customers and company �nances by providing four years of revenue

certainty for the company and four years of rate certainty for customers, he said. It also provides an immediate resolution of nuclear cost recovery, without a prudency review, and a hedge against declining returns on equity. “This agreement was the result of the tremendous work of people throughout the company who worked closely as teams to develop our proposals, work with other parties in the case and ultimately come to an agreement,” Chandarana said. “Working collaboratively with stakeholders on a settlement now enables us to move forward with this proceeding and also partner on other priorities for our state and region’s energy policy.” Reliable electricity is important to customers, which is why Xcel Energy makes continuous improvements to the infrastructure that serves them, he explained. Those improvements, and the work of company employees to keep power plants and the grid running safely and reliably, require investments. “We sought a longer-term rate request because our customers would like more predictability and certainty about the price of their electric service,” Chandarana said. “This agreement will allow us to provide that certainty to our customers. “In addition, we are hopeful this settlement will be a model of how regulators and power companies can work together for the bene�t of our customers in the future,” he added. The signed settlement agreement has been �led with an administrative law judge and the MPUC. There will still be a formal proceeding before the commission determines the �nal rates. The Commission is expected to decide on the case by mid-2017. Until the Commission makes its decision on the case, 2016 interim rates will remain in effect. If the MPUC approved rates are lower than interim rates, a refund will be credited to customers.

6 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 20166 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 2016

Crews conducting archaeological excavations for an Xcel Energy transmission line project in New Mexico re-cently hit the jackpot – uncovering roughly 26,000 artifacts, with some thought to date back more than 5,000 years. The historic �nds are believed to include a rare pit house, which was a form of shelter dating back to the Archaic Period. Final testing is being conducted on the items uncovered to con�rm authenticity. Inside the pit house was a storage pit, �re hearth and sockets for wooden supports to form a roof over the structure. If con�rmed, the pit house would be the only Archaic Period habitation structure ever uncovered in Eddy County. “We found a lot more items than anticipated,” said William Whitehead, lead archaeologist with SWCA Environ-mental Consultants. “All of the artifacts tell a story about how people at the time were using the land to their advantage. “We hope to use these items to analyze human behavior,” he added, “including diet and the environment during the time period, all of which we might not have known before.” Rock mortars used by Native Americans to process plants also were discovered, in addition to ancient arrowheads, small trade beads and other rare objects used for decorating clothing. “Xcel Energy has been a great partner, and we would never

have uncovered these �nds without their help,” said Bruce Boeke, an archeologist with the Bureau of Land Management. “It is a great opportunity to learn something about the people who lived here and understand the challenges they faced.” The historic �nds were uncovered near the Pecos River, southeast of Carlsbad on public land. “These projects have required a lot of collaboration both internally and externally,” said Tiffany Pulliam, senior siting and land rights agent. “We commend the great job done by SWCA Environmental Consultants and the New Mexico Bureau of Land Management, and look forward to continuing to work together on this and future projects.” After being analyzed, the artifacts will be turned over to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, N.M., to be curated. As part of its Power for the Plains transmission expansion initiative, Xcel Energy is currently expanding infrastructure in south-east New Mexico through 2020, including the construction of more than 400 miles of high-voltage lines in Lea and Eddy counties. The dig is now complete, and the company is progressing on the planning for the transmission line – a 345-kilovolt line that will run from Hobbs to the new China Draw Substation south of Carlsbad.

Archeologists hit the jackpot along transmission route

Rare artifacts uncovered in historic New Mexico �nd

ArtifactsIn addition to ancient arrowheads, small trade beads and other rare objects, rock mortars used by Native Americans to process plants also were discovered at the site.

7 OCTOBER 1, 2016

News Briefs

Xcel Energy to relight NSP sign on Chippewa Falls Hydro Plant

What’s old will soon be new again in downtown Chippewa Falls. Xcel Energy is currently in the process of refurbishing the NSP sign that has been on top of the hydro plant since 1968. When the roof of the hydro plant was being replaced in 2013, Hydro Maintenance personnel inspected the sign structure, and while it had not been lit for several years, it was still in good condition. “Because of the historic value of the sign, we felt it was worth saving and relighting,” said Ben Mosack, supervisor of Hydro Maintenance. “We presented the idea to the city of Chippewa Falls and determined it would �t in great with the plans to revitalize the river front area.” The sign is being repaired and will be out�tted with energy-saving LED lights and is expected to be operational in November. “Downtown Chippewa Falls represents some of the historic fabric of the community and the relighting of the NSP sign will add just another feature to our downtown and community,” said Jayson Smith, city planner. “As the city revitalizes its downtown entrance with the new Chippewa Riverfront, the renovated NSP sign complements those efforts.” “I am excited that Xcel Energy is repairing the old NSP sign,” said Greg Hoffman, mayor of Chippewa Falls. “The sign is a key part of the history of Chippewa Falls, and this will be a great addition to the Chippewa Riverfront project.” The Chippewa Falls hydro plant was originally built

in 1928 at the site of an old lumber mill and generates 24 megawatts. The hydro creates a small and narrow 282-acre �owage extending three miles upstream to the tailwater of Wissota Hydro. It was identi�ed at that time with a sign on top that was lit with the full hydro and company name: Chippewa Falls Hydro Plant – Northern States Power Company. It was then downsized to just NSP in 1968 where it remained lit for several decades. In addition to relighting the sign, plans are being developed to transfer ownership of the original black turbine at the plant to the city, and Xcel Energy will install kiosks along a walking trail with historical information about the hydro plant.

Xcel Energy shares safety expertise with Chinese delegation

Xcel Energy recently demonstrated live-line mainte-nance and safety training to delegates from the State Grid Corporation of China in an effort to share industry expertise and best practices. The group from China was visiting the United States to participate in a two-week training program organized by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. The delegation included 15 people from SGCC and one representative from the U.S. Embassy in China. “Ensuring the safety of our workers and the public is a responsibility we take seriously at Xcel Energy,” said Kent Larson, executive vice president and group presi-dent, Operations. “We’re always working to advance safety practices within the company and throughout the utility industry. We were pleased to share our expertise and provide training to the delegation from the State Grid Corporation of China.” Xcel Energy �nished 2015 with its eighth-straight best year ever for safety and was in the top 25 percent for safety performance of U.S. investor-owned electric, natural gas and nuclear companies, according to the Edison Electric Institute.

The SGCC delegates visited four U.S. companies during their visit including Terex Utilities, an equipment and truck manufacturer based in Watertown, S.D. Terex operates equipment such as insulated aerial bucket trucks that have safety features incorporated into the design. During live-line work, linemen repair high-voltage lines without shutting off power. The maintenance work is needed for upgrades and improvements to Xcel Energy electricity infrastructure. Because the lines remain live, service is not interrupted during these operations. Several layers of protection keep workers safe during live-line maintenance and workers must complete ongoing training to reinforce safety procedures. Over the past eight years, Xcel Energy has implemented a series of programs to keep the focus on overall safety, as well as personal safety responsibility at work and at home, Larson said. These programs include safety intervention and stop work responsibility, innovative safety training programs, and �eld and crew leader training.

Archeologists hit the jackpot along transmission route

8 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 20168 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 2016

Xcel Energy is poised to expand its already world class, solar power portfolio by the end of the year – just as it has built and maintained its wind power holdings to No. 1 status in the industry for more than a decade.

After increasing the solar energy on its systems by more than 130 megawatts in 2015, the company is now adding more than 500 megawatts of universal solar by the end of the year – nearly tripling the capacity it had at the beginning of 2016.

The company will purchase energy from the following solar power plants now complete or under construction:• 120-megawatt Comanche Solar Project, Colorado• 100-megawatt North Star Solar Project, Minnesota• 62-megawatt Marshall Solar Project, Minnesota• 100-megawatt Aurora Solar Project, Minnesota• 70-megawatts Chaves County Solar Project, New Mexico• 70-megawatts Roswell Solar Project, New Mexico

The company’s solar power efforts already were well under

SOLAR POWER EXPANSIONComanche facility largest east of the Rocky Mountains

9 OCTOBER 1, 20169 OCTOBER 1, 2016

SOLAR POWER EXPANSIONway with several large-scale solar installations operating in southern Colorado, along with a host of rooftop and community-based systems across the service territory.

“Investing in universal solar power is an opportunity to further diversify our energy supply and meet customer interest in clean energy,” said Tara Fowler, manager of Renewable Energy Purchased Power. “These large, universal facilities provide solar energy at the lowest cost to the greatest number of people in the communities we serve because of the bene�ts that come with economies of scale.

Upon completion by the end of the year, the North Star effort in Minnesota’s Chisago County will be the single largest

solar energy project in the Midwest.“We’re pleased to see the North Star project moving

toward completion,” she said. “This large-scale solar project is part of our plan to double the amount of renewable energy we deliver to customers in our Upper Midwest region and achieve 63 percent carbon-free energy by 2030.”

Similarly, the Comanche project is now the largest solar generating facility in Colorado, the largest east of the Rocky Mountains and one of the largest in the United States. It entails more than 450,000 photovoltaic modules, which use technology that follows the sun as it rises and until it sets, producing power during Xcel Energy’s peak demand periods.

Comanche facility largest east of the Rocky Mountains

10 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 2016

The customers and communities Xcel Energy serves increasingly want solar power as an energy source to meet their needs, Fowler explained. Solar energy provides customers options, all while the technology continues to become more ef�cient and affordable. “For these reasons, solar is an important and growing part of our diverse energy supply,” she said. “We support and want to provide our customers all forms of solar generation to meet their interests – from large universal solar projects that provide power to serve all customers, to local community gardens and private rooftop systems that power individual homes and businesses.” Last year, Xcel Energy also helped customers install more than 5,700 private solar-energy projects for their homes and businesses, and added 11 new community solar gardens to its system. The company offers a range of solar energy programs to meet the different needs and interests of its customers. The Solar*Rewards program in Colorado, Minnesota and New Mexico provides incentives to customers interested in installing private rooftop systems for their homes and businesses to help make the systems more affordable. In turn, the program and the renewable energy credits associated with the solar energy produced help enable the company to meet state renewable energy standards. In addition, through the Solar*Rewards Community program, Xcel Energy provides customers in Colorado and

Minnesota with a convenient solar option, without having to install or maintain their own panels. Customers can sign up to participate in a local community solar garden through a garden developer. In Wisconsin, the company now offers Solar*Connect Community, which gives customers the option to sign up and participate in an Xcel Energy community solar garden project there.

Finally, Xcel Energy owns four photovoltaic systems located on community partner sites in eastern and southeastern New Mexico through its New Mexico Community Solar program. Installed in 2009 and 2010, the systems total 77 kilowatts and feature different types of technology, including rooftop and ground-mounted solar photovoltaic panels. Projects are located at Clovis High School, Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell and Xcel Energy’s Hobbs Service Center.

A key component of the New Mexico program is educational outreach, as the company provides energy curriculum developed speci�cally for New Mexico schools. Students, as well as the general public, are able to access real-time and historical data – measuring ambient temperatures, wind speed and levels of solar production at the sites. “We believe strongly that solar is for everyone, and it is clear that many of our customers share our interest in solar energy,” Fowler said. “In particular, these new large-scale generating facilities provide the advantage of renewable energy at a price that is right.”

11 OCTOBER 1, 2016

Sun PowerAfter increasing the amount of solar energy on its systems in 2015, the company is now poised to add another more than 500 megawatts of universal solar by the end of the year. Pictured above left is a new solar facility in Minnesota and above right is a New Mexico site. Other photos in this spread are of the Comanche facility in Colorado.

12 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 2016

As Xcel Energy faces more competition for its customers, providing excellent service and being easy to do business with are increasingly becoming important ways to retain customers. To be successful, the company needs to clearly understand customer experiences with its products, services and employees – and learn what should be done to improve those experiences in the future, said Peter Narog, manager of Customer Insights. “For a while, we have measured a few of these experiences, such as when a customer calls our call center or visits our website,” he said. “This has led to several changes to help improve what our customers experience in working with us. But these are just two of many channels or ways that customers interact with Xcel Energy that in�uence their satisfaction and likelihood to stay with us.” Realizing the future importance of the customer experience in a more competitive environment, a cross-functional team initiated a project in 2015 to �nd a single-solution provider that would allow the company to add more customer channels and provide improved customer feedback and reporting to teams. The Customer Experience Measurement project (CEM) was led by Customer Solutions, in partnership with Business Systems, Customer Care and Supply Chain. The team selected MaritzCX, a leading customer-feedback solutions provider, to deliver an online platform to replace the existing three surveys used by the company – the Post-Call Agent survey, the Voice of the Customer Transaction survey and the Foresee Web Experience survey. The new CEM platform debuted last spring on xcelenergy.com, and for call-center channels in September.

MaritzCX was selected due to its advanced platform and strong market-research capabilities, Narog said, along with the fact that it was an overall better value than other competitors. “To help develop a better understanding of our customers, this new system replaces disparate approaches that were previ-ously used to measure customer satisfaction,” he said. “It also provides a more accurate and holistic view of our customers across multiple channels. “This broader understanding, in turn, will help us identify what we do well in engaging with customers,” he added, “as well as what we can improve on.” The MaritzCX platform collects survey data for the com-pany’s various customer-input channels, and the survey results available through a single reporting portal, said Julie Davis, senior analyst in Customer Insights. “This valuable information will be available day and night to staff from the call centers and customer-experience website management,” Davis said. “The new reporting portal also will make those results available in a much shorter timeframe than before, and allow multiple users to create customized reporting measures and do their own analysis of the data.” The new platform also permits customer interviews regard-ing service to occur signi�cantly closer to the actual time of the customer’s call (within a few days vs. up to two weeks later). This will provide greater accuracy by capturing perceptions that are more recent in the customer’s mind, she said. The “pop-up” surveys on xcelenergy.com that were launched last spring are working well, she added. More than 9,000 customer responses were received within the �rst few months.

New customer measurement platform launchedEffort to provide improved customer feedback

13 OCTOBER 1, 2016

“Both the website and the call center survey launches were similar in that they involved a large amount of technical develop-ment,” Davis said. “The call center surveys, however, were more complicated because there are actually three different surveys – a short survey evaluating agent calls, a short survey evaluating calls that only interact with our IVR system, and a longer survey that gathers more details about agent calls.” The call center launch also was more challenging because – unlike the web pop-up survey – systems needed to be built to capture and transmit data about customer calls to the survey vendor, she explained. A variety of technical experts from Xcel Energy were needed to accomplish this task. The core questions used to measure both website and call-center experiences include whether the customer was able to accomplish what they intended by calling or visiting the website, satisfaction with the call or website visit, the ease of using the system to resolve questions and concerns, and overall satisfaction with Xcel Energy. “Beyond the core questions, there are a host of other questions that are speci�c to the delivery channel, such as the ease of navigation on the website or call-center agents being

ef�cient and helpful,” Davis said. “There also are questions tailored to speci�c types of customer transactions. “For example, customers who contact us about outages are

asked how satis�ed they were with the com-munications they received about the outage,” she added. “Additionally, both the website and the longer call center survey will include open-ended customer comments.” Those comments will provide details around why a customer was or was not satis�ed with their experience, she said, which can be invalu-able in developing speci�c ways to improve the overall customer experience. Looking beyond 2016, Customer Insights is working with other teams to identify new channels to the CEM platform. New additions may include surveys measuring �eld-service satisfaction, new meter connections, social media or natural gas emergency calls.

“This new system is just one more way we’re continually improving our processes so we can improve the customer experience,” Narog said. “It provides immediate insights and can be mined for in-depth analysis. All of this allows us to make better, more informed decisions about how we serve our customers.”

Peter Narog

14 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 2016

Xcel Energy is planning a major transmission, grid-enhancement effort that will deliver an increased and more reliable electricity supply to customers in New Mexico and Texas. The company currently is seeking route approvals in both New Mexico and Texas for a 345-kilovolt transmission line that eventually will connect the TUCO Substation north of Abernathy, Texas, to the China Draw Substation more than 240 miles away in southern Eddy County, New Mexico. The combined cost of all line segments is estimated at $400 million. A similar transmission project completed in 2014 connected the TUCO Substation to a substation near Woodward in north-western Oklahoma. All of the work is part of Xcel Energy’s Power for the Plains transmission-expansion effort in the region. When all the segments between TUCO and China Draw are completed by 2020, a 345-kilovolt line will stretch more than 400 miles from western Oklahoma to southeastern New Mexico, where there is a signi�cant increase in electricity demand. “The TUCO projects are critical upgrades to Xcel Energy’s New Mexico and Texas transmission grid,” said David Hudson, president of Xcel Energy – New Mexico and Texas. “They not only boost the reliability and capacity of our network, but also enable us to tap more economical sources of power in the east. “This westward extension ensures power can move freely into one of the nation’s most proli�c oil and gas producing re-gions,” he added, “which also happens to be rich in agricultural and mining resources, and renewable energy prospects as well.” These core industries are the job-creation engines for a vast region, Hudson said, and can only reach their potential with a reliable and abundant source of electric power. And the increased connectivity already has opened new markets for less expensive power, delivering close to $60 million in energy-cost savings every year, he said. “It’s our responsibility to plan and build the best possible solutions to our region’s power needs – both today and well into

the future,” Hudson said. “Increasingly, those solutions must address customer preferences for a more diverse power mix by building a resilient and �exible power grid that can quickly adapt to changing economic needs.” In May, the company submitted possible routes to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission for a segment of line from Hobbs to the China Draw Substation near Carlsbad. Later this month, Xcel Energy will submit possible routes to the Public Utility Commission of Texas for a segment of the line running from TUCO Substation to Yoakum County Substation near Denver City. Additionally, two line segments are planned to continue the line between the Yoakum County Substation and a substa-tion west of Hobbs. Cost, length and in-service dates of the TUCO-China Draw segments are as follows:• The 86-mile Hobbs-China Draw segment is anticipated to be

in service by June 1, 2018, at a total project cost of more than $160 million.

• The 110-mile TUCO-Yoakum County segment is planned to be in service by June 1, 2020. Combined with the two segments that will connect the TUCO-Yoakum County line to Hobbs, the total project cost for the TUCO-Yoakum County-Hobbs segments is estimated at $240 million.

• Plans for one of the two connections across the state line were submitted this past summer to New Mexico regulators. The Texas segment running from Yoakum County Substation to the New Mexico state line has already gained regulatory approval.

The TUCO projects are part of a larger capital investment initiative launched in 2010 that is improving the grid across Xcel Energy’s 50,000 square-mile New Mexico and Texas service area. Information on these and other projects can be found at www.powerfortheplains.com.

Xcel Energy planning new 240-mile transmissionline to boost the grid in Texas and New Mexico

15 OCTOBER 1, 2016

COLORADO TORNADO While the Denver metro area was experiencing hail and heavy rain on July 15, the eastern plains of Colorado were hit by a tornado that damaged portions of an Xcel Energy transmission line. The National Weather Service announced that the tornado touched down near the town of Cheyenne Wells, then moved south at 20 miles per hour. Although no one was reported injured, caught square in its path were nearly a dozen company transmission towers – part of the 345-kilovolt line that connects the Colorado grid to the Texas/New Mexico grid. “I received a call that Friday to patrol the Lamar-Finney line,” said Rob Beastrom, �eld superintendent in Transmission. “The four-hour drive wasn’t feasible since it would be dark by the time someone arrived, so on Saturday, a patrolman took off in a helicopter to survey the line. “He later reported that 11 structures were on the ground,” he added. “We then began contacting people to make repairs,

asked engineering for help and also worked to obtain material.” Altogether, 26 people helped with the work near Holly, a small Colorado town three miles from the Kansas border, including Xcel Energy employees from Texas and Colorado, who delivered parts to the remote location, and staff from Cascade McFarlane, a pole supplier. “Our guys really responded,” Beastrom said. “Some had vacations scheduled and changed their plans so we could get the line restored. “The terrain was dif�cult, and it was hot, windy and dusty,” he added. “The water table was high, as well, and our equipment kept getting stuck,” he added. “And even though our system was hit, it could have been worse. Just north of our location another utility lost 122 poles.” All 11 structures and one and a half miles of line were repaired or replaced, and the line was re-energized less than a week later.

Twister takes down more than a mile of line and towers

16 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 201616 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 2016

Cold Springs Fire RestorationCold Springs Fire RestorationCold Springs

Crews safely and quickly �nished repairs a week after the Cold Springs Fire erupted near Nederland, Colo., in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

When allowed into the burn zone after the �re was 100 percent contained, line crews replaced 30 poles and half a dozen transformers, which were lost in the �ames that impacted 528 acres in July.

“There was the potential to lose thousands of poles and other facilities in the immediate area,” said Jay Smith, director of Gas and Electric Distribution Control Center, Colorado. “We’re fortunate that the damage was limited.”

On July 9, when the Cold Springs Fire started in an area just north of the town of Nederland – immediately damaging homes and company infrastructure – Xcel Energy was asked to de-energize about 600 customers in the area.

Infrastructure replaced after damage in�icted by wild�re

17 OCTOBER 1, 201617 OCTOBER 1, 2016

“Overall, we had about 30 poles that needed to be replaced and about half a dozen transformers,” Smith said. “However, we had well over 150 poles that were potentially impacted in the immediate burn area. Our mapping group did a great job of tracking our facilities in relation to the burn area.”

In preparation for restoring power, we had crews ready to go as soon as the go-ahead came through, he said, in one of the toughest terrains in the entire Colorado service territory.

“A lot of the poles are only accessible via helicopter or tractor equipment,” he said. “It’s dif�cult even walking to some of the locations, let alone setting a pole and stringing wire.

This �re was really unique, Smith said.“If you looked at the burn area, we were expecting to lose

everything in it,” he said. “We really didn’t know what to expect until the situation was over. And in the end, we only lost about 20 percent of our infrastructure inside the �re area.

“We soon were 100 percent restored, and the system returned to normal con�guration” he added. “During the effort, I was reminded of a comment by my predecessor, Rodney Hunter [now director of Design and Construction, Colorado Geographics Southwest], after the Four Mile Canyon Fire, and that related to what we ask of our employees day-in and day-out just to keep the lights on.” Ken Foster

18 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 2016

Letters

News Brief

Christmas Day JD Armstrong, siting and land rights agent, took this photo of a transmission tower, along with a distribution line in the background, on a Christmas Day about �ve miles east of Eau Claire, Wis.

Editor’s Note: “Photo Op” is a standing feature in Xtra. Each issue, a photo submitted by a reader or produced by a member of Corporate Communications will be published. Please submit high-resolution digital photos to the editor at the email address listed on the back page of this publication. By submitting images for “Photo Op,” employees give Xtra permission to run the photos.

News Briefs

Photo Op

Second quarter earnings announced

Xcel Energy recently reported 2016 second quarter GAAP and ongoing earnings of $197 million, or $0.39 per share, compared with $197 million, or $0.39 per share, in

the same period in 2015. Higher electric and gas margins in the sec-ond quarter of 2016 were primarily due to higher retail electric and natural gas rates across various jurisdic-

tions, non-fuel riders and the impact of favorable weather. These positive factors were offset by higher depreciation,

interest charges and property taxes. “While we continue to see lower than expected sales across much of our operating territory, our teams continue to carefully manage our O&M expenses and take a thoughtful approach to delivering on our business objectives,” said Ben Fowke, chairman, president and CEO. “As a result, we fully expect to deliver ongoing earnings solidly within our 2016 guidance range. “We’ve made signi�cant progress in our regulatory initiatives including �ling a resource plan, a decoupling proposal and a distribution grid modernization program, all in Colorado,” Fowke said. “In addition, we received strong support for our Rush Creek wind project and are making good progress in working towards a settlement in our Minnesota rate case.”

Jackson named vice president of Strategic Revenue Initiatives

In an effort to address a variety of critical revenue needs, Marvin Mc-Daniel, executive vice president and group president, Utilities and Corpo-rate Services, recently announced the creation of a new rotational position. “Alice Jackson accepted the challenge of this role and has been named vice president of Strategic Revenue Initiatives,” he said. “She will

report directly to me and join my team in the Utilities and Corporate Services business area.” Xcel Energy faces a variety of challenges surrounding revenue growth, McDaniel said. Primary among them is the combined effect of a slow economy, the impact of energy ef�ciency and the development of new technologies. “Despite these cost pressures, it is critical to grow revenue to keep customer bills down and deliver on our obligation to shareholders,” he said. “This position will lead, coordinate, collaborate and engage in multiple

revenue growth opportunities.” Jackson’s areas of focus in-clude a corporate function that she will directly lead to compete for new customers and load growth, including national sales and economic develop-ment. She also will engage in revenue growth through customer products and services such as storage solu-tions, renewable options and other opportunities, whether current or new. “Her focus will be on engaging the right people in the right areas to move our revenue efforts faster and broader,” McDaniel said.

19 OCTOBER 1, 2016

Did a ‘fantastic job in the dark’

Dear Xcel Energy:On a recent Sunday, I placed a service call for a tree

that had fallen over onto some power lines. Within an hour, Xcel Energy had Eric Swenson onsite to remove the branch off the power line.

I would like to thank Eric and Xcel Energy as a whole for doing a fantastic job in the dark. By himself, he removed the threat of a power loss.

Eric did a great job, and should be commended on his fast and professional service. Thank you.

—Dom Marzullo, Stone Lake, Wis.

Thanks sent for restoring power in ‘such a timely manner’

Dear Xcel Energy:I just wanted to thank you for restoring our power last

night in such a timely manner. I want to make sure the work-ers who restored the power get a huge “Thank You” from me.

They worked throughout a tornado warning, pouring rain and lightening! Thank you so, so much!

—Amy Baker, Kimball, Minn.

Restoration in ‘no-power zone’ appreciated

Dear Xcel Energy:Please thank your early-morning technicians for

restoring power in Lake Hallie, Wis. It went out at 4 a.m., and they were working on it minutes later.

Only 69 of your customers were in the no-power zone, but my family was one of them. It’s back up now and all is running smoothly. Thanks again!

—Alyssa Waters Van Duyse

‘You rocked on restoration’

Dear Xcel Energy:You rocked on the restoration of a power outage at

my home.Thanks for the hard work and great customer service

that I received when I called in to report it. Good job! —Lynette Hoff, Littleton, Colo.

Letters

News Brief

Online customer rebate application now available

Applying for money- and energy-saving rebates just got easier for Xcel Energy customers, trade partners and the rebate-processing operations team. After more than a year of planning and production, the Customer Solutions team recently unveiled online rebate applications for 34 programs representing over 80 products in �ve states.

“We’re not the �rst utility to have online rebate applications, but we are one of the utility forerunners

with a fully-digital, rebate-ap-plication option that integrates with our Salesforce customer database platform,” said Bob Zaragoza, senior product portfolio manager with Customer Solutions, who

led the coordinated effort to develop the application platform from the ground up.

Customers and trade partners were eager for this next-generation application option, he said. Within two weeks of deploying the online solution, 82 digital applications were received.

“Our online rebate application is a win-win for customers and our teams that process rebates,” said Jon Packer, manager of Minnesota Energy Ef�ciency Marketing. “We’re excited to deliver a time-saving, simpli�ed solution.”

The online rebate forms are simple, intuitive and will save customers time during the application process, Packer said. The company hopes that the streamlined process will capture more customers who want to take advantage of the many money and energy-saving bene�ts its programs provide, but do not want to �ll out paperwork.

Online applications also eliminate the need for the Rebate Processing group to enter data by hand and follow up with incomplete or inaccurate applications. Digital applications create many internal cost ef�ciencies, he said, including reduced data entry and inquiries, streamlined tracking and an improved communications experience for customers and processing team.

Jennifer Harrell, supervisor of Rebate Processing, especially likes the built-in email process to notify customers.

“Rather than sending out noti�cation letters, emails automatically go out to the customer at different stages of the rebate process, enabling two-way communication with the customer,” Harrell said.

20 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 2016

Gas Rodeo

The birthplace of the Gas Rodeo recently hosted its �rst-ever national event – in Denver, Colo. – 25 years after its inaugural outing. In 1991, a team of enthusiastic Xcel Energy gas employees from Colorado created an opportunity to showcase their skills through a competition, calling it the Gas Hog Rodeo. That annual and local effort continues to this day. “Our boss at the time said he was tired of just having a lineman’s rodeo every year,” said Randy Utecht, supervisor II with Gas Emergency Response at Denver’s Lipan Distribution

Center. “He presented the idea to us, and we were soon brain-storming up four or �ve events.” In 1995, that Colorado idea went national when employees from Xcel Energy (then PSCo), Illinois Power and Montana Light and Gas gathered to hold a national gas rodeo in Decatur, Ill. The event proved so successful, that a national version has been held every year since. The following year, it moved to Fairview Heights, Ill., near St. Louis, and had stayed there due to its central location in the country, he said.

Event returns to its birthplace with a showcase of talent

21 OCTOBER 1, 2016

However, a couple years ago, the national rodeo hit the road and landed in Colorado Springs, Colo. This year on Aug. 27, it came full circle and arrived back to the home of its inception in Denver. Organized by the Midwest Energy Association, this year’s national rodeo featured more than 50 of the best two-man and four-man teams from across the country. Teams came from coast to coast, from Rhode Island to San Francisco, as well as Alabama, Detroit, St. Louis and other locales. “It was as good – if not better – than ever,” Utecht said.

“We were proud of the way it went, and we still have employ-ees [Rich Muench, Katie Hellfritz and Utecht] working for the company who participated in the �rst one. “Thankfully, we had plenty of help,” he added. “It was a lot more work than we thought.” The rodeo again featured �ve events. Three of those events have remained the same since the beginning: the Hand Dig, the Pipe Cut and the Meter Build. But the most infamous event remains the Relay Race, with its demanding challenges such as scooping an egg up with a backhoe.

Gas Rodeo

22 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 2016

“The National Gas Rodeo is a great opportunity to show folks just what’s involved in the safe and reliable delivery of natural gas,” Utecht said. “Most people don’t think about their natural gas service until they wake up one day to a cold house or a cold shower. So it provided terri�c recognition for our industry that provides such a critical service.”

This year’s Xcel Energy teams included the following: • Operator Monitor – Chris Phillips and Josh Voss, Fort Collins.

• Dirty Met�ts – John Dean, Justin Garner, Tyler Johnson, Josh Hirsch and Jeremiah Votruba, Fort Collins.

• Fittin’ for a Livin’ – James Wessling and Warren Mullett, Denver.

• 3 ½ Men – Matt Bradley, Aaron Brown, Logan McNulty, and RC Weller, Grand Junction.

And if you missed this year’s National Gas Rodeo, don’t worry. It will be back in Denver next year for a return engagement.

Photos by Jay Wilcox

23 OCTOBER 1, 201623 OCTOBER 1, 2016

Next UAS mission to consider storm-recovery reconnaissance

One challenge the company faces during storms and natural disasters is assessing areas of destruction to its infrastructure. By quickly and safely providing critical damage information, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) could signi�cantly improve the damage-assessment process. To that end, North Dakota has awarded Xcel Energy and its partners a $500,000 grant, as the state looks to develop better ways to respond to natural disasters. Xcel Energy, Elbit Systems of America and others are participating in a pilot project, which will research ways to speed recovery efforts following natural disasters. “Using UAS to send information back to a control center to be analyzed immediately will help save time, money and lives, said Troy Browen, director of Control Center and Trouble Operations “We’re pleased that the state of North Dakota is taking the lead on developing drone technology. “We see it as transformational technology that can enhance distribution-grid reliability and the safety of our customers and employees,” added Greg Bennett, regional vice president of Distribution Operations. “And we continue to explore additional ways to use the technology.” North Dakota’s leadership in the UAS industry continues to attract companies from across the globe, said North Dakota Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley. “We are fully committed to further developing our expertise and assets as a national hub for UAS research, development and commercialization,” Wrigley said. “I applaud Xcel Energy, Elbit Systems of America and the University of North Dakota for collaborating and utilizing state resources.” General Electric, Northern Plains UAS Test Site and

Waypoint Global Strategies are other partners in the project. Xcel Energy completed the �rst FAA-sanctioned utility �ight using drones in North Dakota in October 2015 to conduct an inspection of a section of transmission line in a remote part of the state. Xcel Energy manages more than 300,000 miles of electricity and natural gas infrastructure, thousands of substations and dozens of power plants in the eight states it serves to ensure the safety and reliability of its energy system. “North Dakota is a leader for UAS research, and we are pleased state researchers, community leaders and business partners see the value of our proposal,” said Eileen Lockhart, UAS program manager. “This project has the potential to further demonstrate the value of drones to enhance public and worker safety, reduce outage restoration times, limit disruption and costs to our customers and communities when disaster strikes, and strengthen our own UAS expertise and leadership.” The community of Mayville will be the test site for the North Dakota pilot project. With the approved grant, the company and its partners will embark on a year-long project to:• Assess UAS capabilities for disaster reconnaissance,

assessment and recovery.• Initiate and develop a framework to collaborate with

emergency management agencies.• Identify considerations for future use of UAS. “I am pleased at the UAS team’s efforts in putting together a great proposal that was viewed highly enough by the State of North Dakota and Research ND to award a $500,000 grant,” said Mark Nisbet, North Dakota jurisdictional manager. “The ability to safely and swiftly assess damage after a major weather event with drones has the potential to be an industry game changer.”

Photos by Jay Wilcox

24 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 201624 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 2016

Xcel Energy was there when Nicollet Mall opened in downtown Minneapolis in 1968, and a new company headquarters will help usher in a new Nicollet Mall when the iconic street’s renovation is complete in 2017.

In an event to honor a new start and look to the future, a ribbon cutting recently marked the completion of Xcel Energy’s Minneapolis Headquarters Campus. Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges joined Ben Fowke, chairman, president and CEO, to cut a ribbon at the company’s new building at 401 Nicollet Mall.

The pair was joined onstage by Judy Poferl, senior vice president, Corporate Secretary and Executive Services, and Tim Murnane, CEO of Opus, the building’s developer. The event also attracted other elected of�cials, business leaders and community members. “Xcel Energy is part of Nicollet Mall’s history, and we are excited to be a part of its future as well,” Fowke said. “With our new headquarters, Xcel Energy is doubling down on its commit-ment to Minneapolis and the entire region by creating a uni�ed campus and bringing our downtown workforce closer together. “If we’re all together, we can collaborate and do even more

for our customers and our community,” he added. “We look for-ward to continuing to be a strong partner in helping ful�ll a broader vision for Nicollet Mall and the downtown Minneapolis area.” In addition to cutting the ribbon, Fowke and Hodges also completed a new time capsule to be sealed in the new building for the next 50 years. Fowke inserted a commemorative book about the new building. Hodges then inserted a copy of the Clean Energy Partnership between the City of Minneapolis and Xcel Energy, signed in 2014. Other items in the new time capsule include a 3D model of a wind turbine, an energy-ef�cient LED light bulb, a sel�e stick, copies of Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press, a small solar panel, and the Upper Midwest Resource Plan. The company recently opened its previous time capsule, installed at 414 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis in 1965 when that building was completed. Its contents were on display at the recent 401 event. Last fall – after 50 years at 414 – Xcel Energy employees opened the time capsule, �nding historical artifacts and documents including:

The CampusXcel Energy celebrates opening of new headquarters

25 OCTOBER 1, 2016

• Details about energy rates, city development and company operations.

• Containers of coal, representing the amount of coal needed to generate a kilowatt-hour of electricity in 1915 and 1965.

• A nuclear fuel element, an electric iron and photographs of electric appliances.

• And a letter from two young students about what it was like to be a teenager in 1965.

“This is a signi�cant and important investment that has been made here on Nicollet Mall at a time when we are revitalizing the entire mall for the 21st Century,” Hodges said. “And Xcel Energy

has been a valued partner of the city for quite a long time.” In June 2012, Xcel Energy signed a contract with Opus Development Co. to be the sole tenant in a new leased facility, opposite the current headquarters location at 414 Nicollet Mall. Xcel Energy took occupancy in the new building earlier this year. “Downtown Minneapolis is our headquarters, and we plan to remain here for the long term,” Fowke said. “The ef�ciencies of having our employees centrally located are enormous. This new building is a prudent, cost-effective way to consolidate our operations, meet our future space requirements and create a great environment for our employees.”

The Campus

Nicollet Ribbon CuttingIn an event to honor a new start and look to the future for Xcel Energy in downtown Minneapolis, a ribbon cutting recently marked the completion of the Headquarters Campus. Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges joined Ben Fowke, chairman, president and CEO, to cut a ribbon (at top above) at the company’s new building at 401 Nicollet Mall. Other photos on pages 24 and 25 show different scenes of the new Xcel energy Campus on Nicollet Mall.

26 XTRA OCTOBER 1, 2016

People

Friends We’ll MissLyle F. Anderson, 88, meter reader, La Crosse, Wis., died on Aug. 5, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1960 to 1988.

Wilhelm Anderson, 85, plant attendant, Lake Superior District Power, Wisconsin, died on Aug. 1, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1975 to 1995.

Joseph J. Auger, 81, utiliza-tion foreman, Gas Utilization, Rice Street Service Center, St Paul, Minn., died on Aug. 8, 2016. He worked for NPS from 1953 to 1993.

Lola L. Beck, 84, senior general clerk B, Accounting, Roswell, N.M., died on July 5, 2016. She worked for SPS from 1970 to 1997.

Gerald D Berg, 73, welder blacksmith, Electric Repair Center, Maple Grove Materials Complex, Maple Grove, Minn., died on July 27, 2016. He worked for NSP 1964 to 1999.

Douglas A. Birely, 72, service �tter B, Southwest Metro Gas Operations, Kipling Service Center, Denver, Colo., died on July 9, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1979 to 2006.

Thelma L. Coffeen, 83, sys-tem correction clerk, Colorado, died on June 22, 2016. She worked for PSCo from 1995 to 1988.

Norman E. Conrad, 89, tree trimming specialist, Safety and Training, Seventh Avenue Ser-vice Center, Denver, Colo., died on July 23, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1949 to 1986.

Jack B. Degenhart, 81, senior meterman, Electric Ser-vice, Boulder Service Center, Boulder, Colo., died on June 11, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1954 to 1992.

Dan D. Deterts, 67, lead utility worker thereafter, Operations, Mountain Division, Summit County Operations Center, died on May 30, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 2002 to 2014.

Darold F. Doose, 92, lead plant equipment operator, Minnesota Valley, Minnesota Valley Generating Plant, St. Cloud, Minn., died on July 5, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1953 to 1987.

Harland G. Dorsey, 72, senior storekeeper, Engineering, Greeley Operations Center, Greeley, Colo., died on Aug. 22, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1966 to 1999.

Michael S. Evans, 55, safety consultant, Field Safety and Training, Harrington Station, Amarillo, Texas, died on Aug. 10, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy from 2007 to 2016.

Kenneth L. Fernandez, 52, corrosion control special-ist, Gas Tech Services PSCo Arvada Service Center, Arvada, Colo., died on Aug. 19, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1991 to 2016.

Peter R. Gasca, 72, overhead working foreman, San Luis Valley Electric Operations, Ala-mosa Service Center, Alamosa, Colo., died on Aug. 18, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1976 to 2007.

Patrick Grant, 86, general superintendent, Central Indian-head Division, Eau Claire, Wis., died on June 24, 2016. He worked for NSP 1959 to 1989.

Charles D. Hadley, 83, produc-tion administrator, Production Performance and Services, Riverside Plant, Minneapolis, Minn., died on July 18, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1956 to 1989.

Bertram Hinojos, 89, mechanical working foreman, Colorado, died on June 28, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1952 to 1986.

David L. Holterhaus, 72, se-nior �eld operations associate, Electric Design, White Bear Service Center, White Bear Lake, Minn., died on July 12, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1988 to 2009.

Donald G. Hoover, 86, soft-ware documentation analyst, Control and Engineering Sys-tems, Plant Operation Support, Colorado, died on July 6, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1968 to 1991.

Donald E. Houck, 87, electri-cal �eld supervisor, Substation Construction, General Of�ce, Minneapolis, Minn., died on July 23, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1951 to 1987.

Mary J. Kapphahn, 88, operating clerk A, Northwest Stores, St. Cloud Service Center, St. Cloud, Minn., died on July 26, 2016. She worked for NSP from 1970 to 1990.

Andrew J. Kimbrell, 91, died on March 15, 2016. He worked for SPS from 1948 to 1985.

Shirley A. Kreutzer, 81, teller representative, North Metro Administration Support, Brighton, Colo., died on July 7, 2016. She worked for PSCo from 1972 to 1993.

Raymond R. Lenzmeier, 86, trouble foreman, Electrical Service, General Of�ce, Min-neapolis, Minn., died on July 14, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1952 to 1989.

Winona Lewis, 93, repre-sentative teller II, Englewood Of�ce, Englewood, Colo., died on June 28, 2016. She worked for PSCo from 1959 to 1986.

Paul Lingenfelter, 94, shift supervisor, Boulder, Colo., died on July 31, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1974 to 1984.

Claudette M. Mastro, 80, micrographics specialist, Corporate Facilities/Real Estate Administrative Services, General Of�ce, Minneapolis, Minn., died on July 31, 2016. She worked for Xcel Energy from 1982 to 2001.

Terry McMorrow, 57, yard equipment operator, Opera-tions, Riverside Plant, Minne-apolis, Minn., died on June 25, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1978 to 2003.

Don M. Nelson, 86, heat rate analyst, Colorado, died on July 4, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1960 to 1986.

Dale Palese, 81, property accounting manager, Manage-ment Accounting, Arvada, Colo., died Aug. 16, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1957 to 1994.

Robert E Pile, 94, vice presi-dent, Gas Planning and Supply, General Of�ce, Minneapolis, Minn., died on June 4, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1954 to 1984.

Albert Pfenning, 94, market-ing representative, Aurora, Colo., died on Aug. 15, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1966 to 1986.

Louanna C. Powell, 74, Colorado, died on Aug. 3, 2016. She worked for Xcel Energy from 1979 to 2007.

Shirley L Pullum, 80, senior cashier, Customer Service, Boulder, Colo., died on July 15, 2016. She worked for PSCo from 1974 to 1995.

Martin E. Romero, 92, gas �tter-serviceman, San Luis Valley Electric Operations, Ala-mosa Service Center, Alamosa, Colo., died on July 22, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1959 to 1986.

Nyal E. Shepreaux, 88, electrical mechanic, Under-ground Construction, Chestnut Service Center, Minneapolis, Minn., died on July 10, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1952 to 1985.

William C. Slade, 100, divi-sion superintendent, Engineer-ing and Operations, Roswell, N.M., died on June 27, 2016. He worked for SPS from 1945 to 1980.

27 OCTOBER 1, 2016

John L. Sorsoleil, 66, lead plant equipment operator, Op-erations, Sherco Plant, Becker, Minn., died on July 29, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1975 to 2007.

Duane C. Stenberg, 74, district troubleman, Electric Operations/Construction, Blair, Wis., died on July 22, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1967 to 2000.

Gwendolyn I. Taylor, 84, cus-tomer service representative II, Western Customer Service, Grand Junction, Colo., died on July 27, 2016. She worked for PSCo from 1966 to 1994.

Patricia Tully, 78, senior corporate switchboard opera-tor, Real Estate Administrative Services, General Of�ce, Min-neapolis, Minn., died on Aug. 12, 2016. She worked for Xcel Energy from 1987 to 2002.

Ralph V. Wiersma, 83, executive operations foreman, Substations, System Opera-tions, Seventh Avenue Service Center, Denver, Colo., died on Aug. 4, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1953 to 1993.

Robert W. White, 86, ware-houseman, Stores, Chestnut Service Center, Minneapolis, Minn., died on July 9, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1976 to 1979.

Herbert Wood, 85, senior programmer, Facilities Support, Arvada, Colo., died on Aug. 21, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1962 to 1986.

James E. Wortham, 67, re-pairman welder, Maintenance, King Generating Plant, Oak Park Heights, Minn., died July 12, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1985 to 2010.

Jimmie Wrighter, 87, custodian thereafter, Janitor Services, South Metro, Denver, Colo., died on July 26, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1972 to 1994.

RetiringKurt Anderson, material and procurement specialist, Supply Chain, Monticello, Minn., retired on July 29, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 40 years.

Jeff Baartman, control room supervisor, Operations, Red Wing, Minn., retired on Aug. 12, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 33 years.

Dwight Bengston (twooldies-butgoodies@juno.com), locating technician, Damage Prevention, Monticello, Minn., retired on Sept. 30, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 25 years.

Nick Boosalis (niata@usfam-ily.net), senior engineer, Gas Engineering, St. Paul, Minn., retired on Aug. 12, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 36 years.

Ruth Ann Bueckers, data management specialist, HR Operations, Human Resources, Minneapolis, Minn., retired on Sept. 22, 2016. She worked for the Xcel Energy for 17 years.

Theresa Carrillo (theresacar-rillo@gmail.com), accounts pay-able analyst, Accounts Payable, Materials Distribution Center, Henderson, Colo., retired on Sept. 16, 2016. She worked for Xcel Energy for 25 years.

Curtis Culver (clculvers@msn.com), control specialist, Opera-tions, Boulder, Colo., retired on Sept. 2, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 35 years.

Rocky Davis (monsied7@aol.com), working foreman, Arvada Gas, Arvada, Colo., retired on July 20, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 35 years.

Bernie Ferguson, superinten-dent, Substation Construction, Henderson, Colo., retired on Aug. 31, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 37 years.

Terry Goulet (terrwgoulet@gmail.com), senior distribu-tion control center operator, Non-Metro Control Center, Minneapolis, Minn., retired on Oct. 4, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 31 years.

Mark Hansen, gas �tter, Ft. Collins Gas Dept., Ft. Collins, Colo., retired on Aug. 22, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 26 years.

Steven Harelson (whitetail-ridge1@gmail.com), district trouble representative, Over-head, Sparta, Wis., retired on Aug. 31, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 40 years.

Daniel Harris, plant superin-tendent, Instrument and Con-trols Dept., Pueblo, Colo., retired on Aug. 16, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 38 years.

Liz Hayden (gutentag5678@gmail.com), analyst, Perfor-mance Management, Eau Claire, Wis., retired on Oct. 3, 2016. She worked for Xcel Energy for 21 years.

Jack D. Hood, working fore-man, Campion High Pressure Gas, Loveland, Colo., retired on Sept. 30, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 34 years.

Michael W. Jones, journey-man/lineman/serviceman, Dumas, Texas, retired on Aug. 12, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 40 years.

Paul Karoleurtz, district control center manager, Control Center-Trouble, Minneapolis, Minn., retired on Oct. 3, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 32 years.

Darrell Lewis, designer, San Luis Valley Division Design, Alamosa, Colo., retired on Aug. 12, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 35 years.

Bruce Lion, master tech, Gas, Grand Forks, N.D., retired on Sept. 2, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 37 years.

Vicki Mueller, MSW handler, RDF Plant, LaCrosse, Wis., retired on Aug. 5, 2016. She worked for Xcel Energy for 24 years.

John Pettingill (pettengills@gmail.com), senior trading coordinator, Control Center, 414 Nicollet, retired on Sept. 1, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 25 years.

Jolene Quinn (jolene.quinn@yahoo.com), collection agency specialist, revenue recovery, La Crosse, Wis., retired on July 31, 2016. She worked for Xcel Energy for 39 years.

James Rowan (jsrowan04@gmail.com), principal engineer, Transmission Line Engineering, Minneapolis, Minn., retired on Aug. 31, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 36 years.

Michael Schmitz (schmit-ty310@frontiernet.net), repair-man/tool room, Maintenance, Sherco Plant, Becker, Minn., retired on Sept. 16, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 37 years.

Timothy Searle, regulatory projects director, Revenue Requirements, Minneapolis, Minn., retired on Aug. 15, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 34 years.

Perry Smith, Mankato, Minn., retired on Aug. 31, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 29 years.

Todd Solberg, journeyman/lineman, Arvada Line Dept., Arvada, Colo., retired on July 15, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 33 years.

Jim Vader, regional capital projects director, Energy Sup-ply, Denver, Colo., retired on July 29, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 39 years.

Jim Weidner (jimweidner@comcast.net), treasury forecasting director, Assistant Treasurer, Minneapolis, Minn., retired on Sept. 30, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 39 years.

Kenneth Weisser, senior system chemist, PETS, Brush, Colo., retired on Sept. 7, 2016. He worked for Xcel Energy for 35 years.

© 2016 Xcel Energy Inc.

SEE YOUR BUSINESS IN A DIFFERENT

LIGHT.

A MORE PROFITABLE ONE.

Improving the lighting in your company can help to improve your bottom line. Fact is, today’s lighting technology is dramatically more energy ef�cient. And we have all sorts of rebates to help offset the expense of installation. Savings. Just another thing Xcel Energy is always delivering. For more, visit xcelenergy.com/LightingEf�ciency or call one of our energy ef�ciency specialists at 855.839.8862.

414 Nicollet Mall, 401-7Minneapolis, MN 55401xcelenergy.com

XTRAPublished monthly by Xcel EnergyKevin Graham, Editor1800 Larimer Street, 16th FloorDenver, CO 80202Phone: 303-294-2417Fax: 303-294-2968email: Kevin.Graham@xcelenergy.com

Contributors: Kelly Stone Cramer, Sarah Gedrose, Tim Dicks, Derek Wolden, Diana Yee, Al Lohman and Liz Wolf Green

Design: Steve Berry

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDDENVER CO

PERMIT NO 5064