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NEW DIGSAmarillo’s new regional headquarters a boon to city and company

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Always ImprovingContinuous-improvement effort under way at company.

Renewable*ConnectNew program receives strong customer support.

Amarillo LandmarkNew building opens as new regional headquarters.

Annual MeetingShareholders gathering held in company’s new building in Amarillo.

Mobile AppA new app provides customers with account access and other features.

PeopleThe most recent Friends We’ll Miss and Retirements.

On the CoverXcel Energy has made a strong statement about its future in Texas and New Mexico with the opening of the $42 million regional headquarters building in downtown Amarillo. Pictured is the front of the new facility at 790 Buchanan, which is also the name of the new build-ing. For more information, please see page eight.

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(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.)

Our recent visit to Amarillo was a great reminder that Texans really know how to roll out the welcome mat. There were so many oppor-tunities to enjoy the Texas hospitality and meet with customers, stakeholders, shareholders and employees at all of the events held in conjunction with our Annual Shareholders Meeting.

David Hudson and I had a chance to present siz-able foundation contributions to local charities, and to meet with Amarillo community leaders and members of the Amarillo Globe-News editorial board.

It also was the �rst time our local staff had the opportunity to “kick the tires” at our new Texas head-quarters. It’s quite the facility and a great addition to Amarillo’s growing downtown.

At the new headquarters, I got to meet with several hundred employees and talk with them about the signi�cant economic bene�ts that the building will generate for the entire community. I also shared my perspective on our company’s priorities and challenges for 2017, and how we need to continually work to get better as a company and as employees.

In addition, I had the opportunity to meet with a lot of employees at our recently expanded Ama-rillo Technical Center, including folks who work in Operations, Safety, Energy Supply, Customer Care and

Supply Chain. It was great to see how that facility provides our team with hands-on experience in a completely safe environment.

And it was personally fun for me to try out the new excavation simulator. I didn’t do too badly, but I plan to keep my day job.

While I had a great time all week, the real high-light was getting to meet with employees from our Texas and New Mexico operating companies. You are a great crew, and I am tremendously proud that you are part of the Xcel Energy team.

Finally, I want to thank the entire team that worked to put together this year’s annual meeting. From start to �nish, all of the events associated with the meeting were outstanding.

A Texas-sized event

CEO Message

“At the new headquarters, I got to meet with several hundred employees and talk with them about the signi�cant economic bene�ts that the building will

generate for the entire community.”

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Always Improving, Always Delivering

Creating a culture of continuous improvement at Xcel Energy Xcel Energy has the ambitious vision to be the preferred and trusted provider of the energy its customers need. The good news is that whether we achieve our vision is up to us. “Corporate culture is such a critical contributor to opera-tional and �nancial results, and we all play a role in shaping it,” said Bob Frenzel, executive vice president and CFO. “Our customers’ expectations are increasing, which requires Xcel Energy to get better every day. “Our employees have a long history of rising to the chal-lenge,” he added. “By holding ourselves to high standards and being open to change, we can provide the safe, clean, reliable and affordable energy our customers expect. In the long run, that will deliver the best business results.” A number of important initiatives will help us achieve our vision. But regardless of whether you are working directly on

those initiatives, each of us has an important role to play in making Xcel Energy our customers’ preferred and trusted energy provider, he said. That’s because each of us can contribute to making our culture one that embraces and models a commit-ment to continuous improvement.

A powerful vision We set our vision with an eye toward a future of rising cus-tomer expectations and a more competitive energy landscape. That future is bearing out. Our customers expect high-quality service, convenience, communications when and in the way they want them, and op-tions to help them achieve their goals, he said. They expect that working with us will be as convenient and productive as their experience with other companies, like Amazon or Apple. At the same time, our customers have more options than ever, he added. More technologies and energy service providers

are available than ever before, allowing our customers more choice and control over their energy sources and use. “We can see these developments as challenges or op-portunities – or maybe little of both,” Frenzel said. “But by ap-proaching our work in the spirit of getting better every day, we can ensure we are up for the challenge and ready to capitalize on the opportunities.”

Our strategic priorities In his �rst webcast of 2017, Ben Fowke, chairman, president and CEO, laid out three priorities for our business:• Invest in our future – Top priorities include renewable energy

and natural gas plants as we transform our supply mix, as well as the grid, as we enhance reliability and implement new technologies to better serve customers. At the same time, we are investing in our workforce, providing the tools, resources

and competitive compensation to attract and retain the best talent.

• Enhance the customer experience – Becoming easier to do business with, communicating in new and effective ways, and working to delight our customers every day – whether internal or external – are all a part of this priority. Provid-ing new options that help them achieve their goals, such as our all-renewable service option Renewable*Connect or our hundreds of energy-ef�ciency offerings, are also critical for meeting customer expectations.

• Keep bills low – Price is critical to our customers and they expect a good value for what they pay. Our commitment to being good stewards of their dollars, helping them lower their energy use through ef�ciency programs, and lowering costs of our service while improving quality or creating other value is important to building customer loyalty and trust.

“These clear and straightforward priorities help sharpen

Judy Poferl Michael LambBob Frenzel

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Always Improving, Always Delivering

Creating a culture of continuous improvement at Xcel Energyour focus and create closer alignment between the work we do every day and executing our strategies,” said Judy Poferl, senior vice president, Corporate Secretary and Executive Services. “Everyone should be able to see the connection between the work they do and how they do it with delivering on these priorities.”

The key to success Xcel Energy gains a competitive advantage when employees work together to deliver on these priorities. Doing so requires each of us to show up for work ready to:• Own our customers’ needs• Drive cost effectiveness• Be a team player• Strive for excellence “Like our strategic priorities, these actions are clear and straightforward,” Poferl continued. “You can demonstrate them from wherever you sit, and make a real and meaningful contri-bution to shaping our culture. To drive the point home, take the Pledge and share success stories and lessons learned, and hold both yourself and coworkers accountable to showing up ready to work in these ways each and every day.”

Limitless possibilities While there are many efforts around creating a culture of continuous improvement, there are two enterprise-wide initia-tives being rolled out across the company – PTT and XE1, said Michael Lamb, vice president of Operation Services and the Enterprise Transformation Of�ce. The new systems and processes being rolled out under our Productivity through Technology initiative, or PTT, provide a platform for greater ef�ciency, he said. PTT will give us better insight into our operating performance that will allow us to better manage the business, and in turn, deliver more for our customers. XE1 will position us to always improve and always deliver, he added. XE1 takes a disciplined and comprehensive approach of drawing on industry best practices, engaging employees in setting priorities and developing consistent processes to imple-ment improved practices. The resulting ef�ciency should not only take costs out of our business to help keep bills low for customers, he said, but also allow for innovation and more strategic alignment, making Xcel Energy a better place to work. “XE1 builds on the foundations of PTT and started as a guiding principle within the PTT effort,” Lamb said. “XE1 pro-vides a roadmap and tools for achieving even better results. “It draws on the engagement and knowledge of our employees to improve the business and create better customer experiences,” he added. “The discipline and capabilities devel-oped will help us keep bills low, improve the customer experi-ence and invest in our future.”

XE1 kicked off with a �rst wave in three business units last fall – Nuclear, Supply Chain and Business Systems. These areas are delivering impressive results by reinforcing our culture of continuous improvement and identifying opportuni-ties to achieve better performance, he said. So far, this work has resulted in improved vendor contracts, streamlined – and in some cases, automated – processes, new performance metrics and sharpened work priorities.

“While the �rst wave wrapped up in May, the results will be long lasting,” Lamb said. “Employees in these business areas have taken the challenge to heart – we’ve learned a lot and gotten great results.” The same work that each of the three initial groups un-dertook – along with lessons learned and needed adjustments – will now cascade through the company over the next 18 months, making the tools and process available to all business areas. The work will entail a combination of performance and culture-change advancements, tied to speci�c key performance indicators. “The goal is to be cost competitive while improving qual-ity and service for customers through best practices and new tools,” Frenzel said. “We’re looking for less risk, reduced costs and higher quality. I am excited, as I know our employees will �nd these tools and processes valuable, and we’re looking forward to sharing them throughout the company. “It’s a winning combination – a high-performance culture focused on continually improving our business and serving our customers better, combined with new tools, processes and metrics to help us achieve those results, he added. “Continuous improvement is how we will fundamentally transform the way we do business – helping us become the energy provider of choice for our customers.”

“Xcel Energy wants to be a

company where every employee

shows up with the goal of doing

their work better every day. By

holding ourselves to high standards

and being open to change, we

can drive better results.”

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Customer response to the company’s new Renewable*Connect program in Minnesota has been strong. During the initial enrollment period, Xcel Energy quickly subscribed most of the 178,000 megawatt-hours of available program energy. Renewable*Connect delivers subscribers a blend of local, affordable wind and solar energy from the Odell Wind Farm in southern Minnesota and the North Star Solar Facility in central Minnesota. The program uniquely meets customers’ needs by providing:• Certi�ed Renewable Energy Credits to offset up to 100

percent of energy use• Dedicated wind and solar resources• Flexible contract terms – with monthly, �ve-year and

ten-year options• Easy on-bill payment and credits• Locked-in, long-term pricing “Renewable*Connect doubles the amount of voluntary renewable energy we sell to Minnesota customers, and we

already have one of the nation’s largest voluntary programs in Windsource,” said Dan Nygaard, vice president of Customer Solutions. “Also, the World Resources Institute reports that there are 11 approved green-tariff programs in the United States, and we have two of them with our Minnesota and Colorado Renewable*Connect programs.” “We are particularly pleased that a good mix of large and small customers chose Renewable*Connect during the 30-day enrollment period,” he added. “Nearly 2,000 residential custom-ers signed up, along with schools, local governments and large companies.” Nearly 60 percent of large customers who subscribed indicated they would be interested in even more capacity if it becomes available, Nygaard said. The company is now compil-ing a waitlist to help determine demand for additional program capacity, and in the meantime customers can continue to subscribe to Windsource for their green-power needs. “We will continue to work with customers, regula-tors and stakeholders in the coming months to create future

Renewable*ConnectStrong customer response seen for new program

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Renewable*Connect options that meet customer needs without increasing costs for non-participants,” Nygaard said. “We also are excited about our Renewable*Connect Colorado program that will give our Colorado customers the same opportunity next year.” Renewable*Connect is an example of Xcel Energy’s corporate priority of enhancing the customer experience, he said. For Customer Solutions, that means listening to customers, designing options that ful�ll their needs, keeping costs low by eliminating non-subscriber subsidies and making it easier to do business with the company. Minnesota’s Account Management group sold about 90 percent of the subscriptions in this initial round to large com-mercial and industrial customers, said Chris Conrad, director of Large Account Management. Most of these large customers also took advantage of the ten-year subscription option. “We are pleased by the positive customer response to Renewable*Connect,” Conrad said. “Xcel Energy launched enrollment in April, and over the course of the month, we

signi�cantly increased the volume of voluntary renewable energy we sell to Minnesota customers. “Renewable*Connect delivers an easy way to use renew-able energy and provides a new option for our customers to achieve their sustainability goals,” Conrad added. “And there are no up-front costs, and prices are known at the start.” As part of the program, the newly renovated Minnesota state capitol complex will be powered by solar and wind through the Renewable*Connect Government program. Xcel Energy worked with the Minnesota Department of Administration and Gov. Mark Dayton to provide a long-term program that could deliver renewable energy for the state capitol complex. “Xcel Energy is committed to delivering the new energy solutions that our customers want, and I am proud that we can now offer this renewable program,” Nygaard said. “Renew-able Connect will provide an easy and affordable option for our customers to tap into renewable energy to achieve their energy goals and reduce their carbon footprint.”

Renewable*ConnectStrong customer response seen for new program

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vXcel Energy has made a strong statement about its

future in Texas and New Mexico with the opening of the $42 million 790 Buchanan regional headquarters building in downtown Amarillo.

Close to 300 Xcel Energy employees vacated the company’s home for the past 46 years – the iconic 31-story Chase Tower – and relocated to 790 Buchanan during the month of May. The move also coincided with the �rst Xcel Energy Annual Share-holders Meeting to take place in Amarillo since 2012. “May was a memorable month for our Amarillo employ-ees,” said David Hudson, president of Xcel Energy–Texas and New Mexico. “After more than two years of planning and months of some serious spring cleaning, we managed to move close to 300 employees into the new building – while welcom-

ing Xcel Energy shareholders and guests into our new home for some very successful events.”

Hudson announced plans for the new building in January 2015, launching an intense effort to design a state-of-the-art workspace for future generations of employees and build public excitement for the plan. Xcel Energy lined up the support of the Amarillo Economic Development Corp., the downtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, and city and county of�cials who approved a package of incentives to keep Xcel Energy’s regional headquarters in downtown Amarillo.

Xcel Energy chose the Opus Group of Minneapolis to devel-op and construct the new building, which bears a resemblance to the Opus-designed 401 Nicollet headquarters building in Minneapolis. An outside real estate investment group �nanced

LANDMARKCompany sinks roots deep in the heart of Texas

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vthe building and is leasing the space to Xcel Energy through a long-term contract.

The timing of the new building was well thought out, Hudson said. Xcel Energy operations in Texas and New Mexico have grown in recent years as the company launched a multibillion-dollar, capital-expansion project that has involved the construction of hundreds of miles of new high-voltage transmission lines.

And in March, the company announced a major expansion of wind energy in Texas and New Mexico, as it seeks approval to build two facilities that will add 1,000 megawatts of wind energy to the regional mix, plus another 230 megawatts of con-tract wind energy purchases. Xcel Energy’s increasingly robust transmission network enables the company to integrate this additional low-cost energy.

The planning for these major projects has been and will continue to be done largely by employees based in downtown Amarillo, he said, and it was imperative to have a workspace that provided the best ef�ciency and most up-to-date services.

At the same time this expansion is taking place, long-time employees are retiring in greater numbers, and a larger group of young professionals are seeking employment at the com-pany. Recognizing the evolving workforce needs and changes in generational preferences, Xcel Energy leadership concluded that it needed a different type of work environment to attract and retain its future workforce as the company plans some of the largest capital investments in its history. The 114,000 square-foot 790 Buchanan Building provides larger �oorplans than what the company had available in its former location. The extra space provides for a more collabora-

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tive-style work environment that helps facilitate more ef�cient work �ow, Hudson said, and enables large work groups such as Transmission and Energy Supply to be located mostly on the same �oor.

“The collaborative work environment and technological amenities at 790 Buchanan are what younger workers expect to �nd when they enter the workforce,” he said. “An added bonus is that it the new building is located in the heart of what will be become a busy entertainment district for the city and region, and we know from our experiences in other cities such as Denver and Minneapolis that young people are increasingly drawn to urban centers for both work and recreation.”

790 Buchanan sits directly across from a planned multi-purpose event venue that will be used for minor league baseball and concerts, and just south of a new city-owned parking garage ringed by new retail spaces. Two blocks down, workers are nearing completion of the new Embassy Suites convention hotel. Like the neighboring developments, 790 Buchanan Building has been identi�ed as a downtown Amarillo “catalyst” project that is helping spur development in the city’s central business district.

The company actually looked outside of downtown for oth-er options, but there was a desire to stay where Xcel Energy’s Texas story began in 1925. That was the year the Roswell Public Service Co. was purchased by Consolidated Power and Light of Chicago and renamed Southwestern Public Service Co. Shortly after the creation of SPS, the base of company operations was moved to Amarillo.

As the Texas-New Mexico service area grew in economic

importance, the fortunes of SPS increased and so did its desire to re�ect this prosperity through a series of moves into bigger and nicer headquarters of�ce buildings. In 1968, the company announced it would occupy 10 �oors of the new American Na-tional Bank Building, which was later renamed the Chase Tower. The company moved into the new space – known to employees for many years as “The Tower,” in 1971. “Workspace needs have changed dramatically since then, and we knew it was time to update our work environment and do it in a way that helped drive development of our regional headquarters city,” Hudson said. “The building you see now is the culmination of those aspirations, and it’s come off very well.” While not as tall as the Chase Tower, 790 Buchanan is nonetheless a new landmark in downtown Amarillo. The buff and brown precast concrete structure with glass curtain walls at the front corners consists of three levels of parking with a four-story of�ce tower situated above the parking decks. Three meeting bays on the fourth �oor can be opened into one large event space. The Annual Shareholders Meeting on May 17 was held in this area. While the current census of the downtown of�ce hovers around 300, 790 Buchanan can accommodate as many as 500 employees. Xcel Energy is the sole of�ce tenant of 790 Buchanan, and will provide facilities management and security services for the building. “We believe we chose our location wisely, and are pleased that we are playing such a large role in transforming the area,” Hudson said. “We expect to occupy this corner for many years to come.”

Ribbon CuttingAt left, Daivd Hudson, president of Xcel Energy–Texas and New Mexico, speaks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new 790 Buchanan Building in Amarillo. Hudson announced plans for the new building in January 2015, launching an effort to design a state-of-the-art workspace for future generations of employees. Above, a banner at the ceremony announces the opening of the new building.

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News Brief

Photo Op

Monticello completes refueling and maintenance projects The Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant recently resumed operations after employees �nished refueling and maintenance projects during the plant’s 28th refuel-ing in its 46 years of operation. The work involved nearly 600 plant workers and about 800 contract specialists from around the country. The 29-day refueling marked one of the shortest and most ef�cient refueling periods in plant history, said Pete Gardner, site vice president of Monticello. The plant is now poised to run almost two full years before another refueling is needed. Prior to the refueling, the plant had run 500 consecutive days. “Long-term operation of Monticello is a key strategy in Xcel Energy’s plan to provide more than 60 percent carbon-free energy to our customers,” he said. “Our team

performed their tasks safely, ef�ciently and effectively in under a month to position our plant to provide round-the-clock electricity to our customers.” Employees spent 150,000 work hours completing more than 6,000 jobs that ranged from replacing equipment to main-taining components, and wrapping up projects that cannot be completed while the plant is running. The power plant was refueled by replacing more than 4 million fuel pellets arranged into 148 fuel assemblies within the reactor core, about one-third of the plant’s total fuel. Monticello is the area’s largest employer. According to a newly released study by the Nuclear Energy Institute, the plant generates about $447 million in overall economic activity each year in Minnesota.

Monticello MovesMargie Church, communications consultant at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, took this photo of fuel moves occurring under water in the open reactor core during the plant’s recent refueling outage. “I was fortunate enough to not only get on the refuel �oor, but also right on the bridge,” Church reports. “It’s pretty inspiring.”

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.

Xcel Energy’s roots run deep in the Texas Panhandle, and this year’s annual meeting on May 17 helped cel-ebrate sinking those roots even deeper into downtown Amarillo.

“We have served Amarillo for nearly a century and are thrilled to play a role in the city’s redevelopment efforts,” said Ben Fowke, chairman, president and CEO, at the meeting. “Downtown is buzzing with construction activity – and our brand-new headquarters building is the �rst of several signi�-cant downtown projects that will boost the economy and help the city shine.

“So it was an easy decision to again host our annual meet-ing here,” he added. “And I’m glad the building was done in time to host this meeting.”

Hosting annual meetings throughout the eight-state service territory gives the company a great opportunity to demonstrate its continuing support of local community organizations, talk with policymakers, connect with customers and visit with share-holders, he said.

“That’s because we know our success is tied to our com-munities’ success,” Fowke said. “Growing and vibrant communi-ties support our business growth, while reliable and affordable energy powers our communities.

“We are seeing that strong growth right here in Amarillo

and throughout the region, and we are committed to providing the energy you need to support that growth,” he said. “We are here to deliver for you.”

And with that, Fowke dove into the culture-change efforts under way at Xcel Energy involving continuous improvement and always delivering.

“Our theme of ‘Always Delivering’ is one that rings true throughout Xcel Energy, reinforcing the important role we play to deliver value for all our constituents, including customers, shareholders, regulators and employees,” he said. “Every day we are reminded of the tremendous privilege and responsibility we have in providing the energy our customers rely on 24/7, 365 days a year. Delivering safe, reliable energy at an affordable price will always be a main priority.”

However, the company also is involved in delivering more – starting with strong, consistent �nancial performance that shareholders have come to expect. Fowke then reported the company’s 2016 GAAP and ongoing earnings of $2.21 per share, compared with ongoing earnings of $2.09 per share in 2015, calling it a great result in the upper half of the guidance range. He also provided some additional points on the company’s �nancial performance, including:• 2016 marked the 12th consecutive year Xcel Energy met

or exceeded its earnings guidance, and since 2005, it has

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ANNUAL MEETINGMEETINGGATHERING HELPS CELEBRATE REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS

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achieved an annual earnings growth rate of 6.1 percent.• The company’s three-year total shareholder return was an

impressive 62 percent, compared with 45 percent for the EEI utility index and 29 percent for the S&P 500 Index.

• And the company increased its dividend by 6.3 percent, marking the 13th consecutive year of dividend growth.

“We’re proud to deliver strong and consistent �nancial results year after year,” Fowke said. “But our industry is changing – becoming increasingly competitive while our customers’ expectations are rising. We know we need to keep upping our game to meet those expectations.”

Fowke then noted that Xcel Energy’s strategic plan focuses on three key priorities:• Investing in the future• Enhancing the customer experience• Keeping prices low

Starting with the investment strategy, Fowke said an increasing number of customers want clean energy, and the company’s “Steel for Fuel” wind-power strategy is a great example of how to provide both clean and affordable energy simultaneously.

“In our backyard from Minnesota to Texas, we have some of the best wind in the country, and we’ve been steadily adding wind energy to our system over the years,” he said. “Along the

way, we developed state-of-the-art forecasting tools that allow us to ef�ciently integrate more wind onto our grid than we would have thought possible just a few years ago.

“It gave us the con�dence to really step up and add even more wind,” he added. “And the timing is perfect – wind technology has improved signi�cantly over the last decade, and when you combine that with federal tax credits that we were able to lock in for our customers, we are delivering great value.”

Based on forecasted energy prices, Xcel Energy’s wind energy will save its customers billions of dollars over the life of the investments, he said, and the company has proposed 11 new wind farms. All told, these projects will provide nearly 3,400 megawatts of new wind – the largest multi-state, utility wind proposal in the country.

In addition, the company plans to own 80 percent of this wind, he said, which creates a great investment opportunity for shareholders and allows the company to grow organically without increasing customer bills. By 2021, Xcel Energy expects wind to account for nearly 35 percent of its energy supply mix, up from 19 percent at the end of 2016.

“Wind combined with our other initiatives will allow us by 2021 to reduce carbon emissions by 45 percent over 2005 levels,” Fowke said. “We also believe that we can achieve a 60

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Letters

percent carbon reduction by 2030, assuming favorable econom-ics and a supportive regulatory environment.

“So when you put it all together – a solid investment, lower prices, signi�cantly improved environmental performance and lo-cal economic development bene�ts – I’m sure you’ll agree these investments are winners,” Fowke said. “We are excited about what our plans offer and we look forward to bringing them over the �nish line. Fowke went on to mention the Advanced Grid proposal in Colorado, ongoing upgrade work in Transmission and strength-ening the natural gas system regarding “investing in the future,” before turning to the second priority – “enhancing the customer experience.” “Our vision is to be the preferred and trusted provider of the energy our customers need, so it’s critical that we build customer loyalty so they choose us as more choices become available,” he said. “We are upping our game by focusing on improving the customer experience in areas that really matter to them – communications and options.” As an example of improving communications, the company is now using multiple channels to inform and interact with customers during outages. And Xcel Energy recently launched a mobile app that provides customers a convenient way to pay their bill, report an outage or contact the company. Xcel Energy also is providing more product choices that customers have been asking for, including the recent launch of Renewable*Connect, which provides Minnesota residential and business customers the ability to buy a portion or all of their energy from certi�able renewable sources. The company has ap-proval to offer a similar product to Colorado customers, as well, and expects that to launch in 2018. “Coupled with our extensive suite of energy-ef�ciency and management programs, we are providing customers more choices than ever before,” Fowke said. Concerning the last priority, one key to competitiveness is providing great value at low prices, he said. Along those lines, 2016 marked the third consecutive year the company has kept O&M expenses �at – a trend expected to continue in the future. “We’re achieving those results not only through careful cost management, but also strategic investment in technology,” Fowke explained. “By the end of 2017, we will have completed our Productivity through Technology project – where we are replacing major software systems that support our business. We have used this initiative to tackle the way we work and stream-line our processes, saving millions of dollars.

“Couple the savings from an initiative like PTT with the

billions of dollars in fuel savings from building wind farms and you can see how we are keeping our costs in check,” he added. “The net result is that we will keep bills low for our customers, while at the same time creating headroom for other needed investments.” Although the company sees lots of opportunity in the fu-ture and is focused on executing on its priorities, as a regulated utility, it needs the support of its customers, policymakers and stakeholders to make it happen, Fowke said. He then noted the signi�cant strides made in 2016 on the regulatory front. “We reached an agreement with stakeholders on a com-prehensive Upper Midwest Resource Plan that won approval from policymakers,” he said. “Highlights of the plan include signi�cantly expanding our renewable portfolio, retiring two coal units at our Sherco facility in Minnesota, building new natural gas plants and maintaining our nuclear �eet. “In Colorado, we achieved a wide-reaching agreement with 22 stakeholder groups that will expand our rooftop- and community-solar offerings, and set the stage for ongoing col-laboration,” he added. “The agreement also gave us the green light to test two new pricing models – time-of-use pricing and peak-demand pricing. We will use this information to develop new pricing models that will give customers more control over their energy use.” The company also achieved a landmark decision in Minne-sota – the �rst four-year electric plan, which will provide price certainty for customers and give Xcel Energy a longer runway to plan its investments. This mutually bene�cial agreement was the result of extensive stakeholder engagement, he said. “We appreciate our regulators’ support of this approach and will work to continue to prove its value as we move through the plan,” he said. “Our experience in Colorado, where we are now preparing our third three-year rate plan, shows that this approach can work well for all stakeholders.” Fowke closed by noting that stakeholders won’t align around the company’s vision for the future if it isn’t delivering on the business’s table stakes every day. “That’s why you see us focusing on the fundamentals of our business – keeping the lights on, restoring service quickly when outages occur and responding to customers when they need us,” he said. “Xcel Energy’s success is fueled by employees who always deliver,” he added. “They come to work energized to serve you, and that commitment is demonstrated by the passion and focus they bring to their jobs every day.”

ShareholdersAt left, Ben Fowke, chairman, president and CEO, speaks at the annual meeting. “We have served Amarillo for nearly a century and are thrilled to play a role in the city’s redevelopment efforts,” he said. “Downtown is buzzing with construction activity – and our brand-new headquarters building is the �rst of several signi�cant downtown projects that will boost the economy and help the city shine.”

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Thanks sent for working through the night to restore power

Dear Xcel Energy:Thank you, Xcel Energy crews, for working most of

the night and restoring our power. With all of the rain in the neighborhood, our sump pump quit working when a neighbor’s tree fell on the power lines and power was lost. We did get a little water in our

crawl space. But had your crew people not responded and worked right away, it could have been worse.

Thanks again to all that were involved restoring power in the Minnetonka area. I’m sure all of our neigh-bors appreciate it, too.

—Donna Daniels, Minnetonka, Minn.

Watched the map to see when power was restored

Dear Xcel Energy:Thank you for your hard work on the recent power

outage in Wake�eld, Mich. I was 1,500 miles away from home, and I received your text alert and email regarding

the outage.I was able to watch the map to see when the power

was restored, and my friends were able to check my home to see that all was back up and running.

Thank you, especially all of the linemen, who worked on this. We appreciate your care and concern, and the professionalism in handling this matter.

—Paul Bretall, Wake�eld, Mich.

‘I am so grateful for how you all responded to my concerns’

Dear Xcel Energy:I just wanted to take a moment to thank your staff for

the extremely professional and kind way in which they handled a gas leak at my house today. From my �rst call to Amanda to your technician, everyone I spoke to and inter-acted with was unbelievably kind, helpful and ef�cient. A possible gas leak with a toddler is scary, and I am so grateful for how you all responded to my concerns and how quickly someone was at my house. We are very impressed, but most of all, thankful for how the issue was resolved.

—Corrie Lay�eld, St. Paul, Minn.

Letters

News Brief

Achievements detailed in new Corporate Responsibility Report Xcel Energy recently released its annual Corporate Responsibility Report, which highlights the company’s local economic, environmental and social performance for 2016. The report presents results the company achieved as it transitions to cleaner energy sources and provides other bene�ts to the communities it serves, including industry-leading energy ef�ciency programs, economic develop-ment and energy-assistance support. “We know our success is tied to our communities’ success,” said Ben Fowke, chairman, president and CEO. “Growing and vibrant communities support our business, while clean and affordable energy powers our communi-ties. As a responsible community partner, we are commit-ted to delivering on our shared goals and continually raise the bar on our performance.” In 2016, Xcel Energy reduced carbon emissions 30 percent since 2005, four years earlier than expected, he said, and now anticipates it will achieve at least a 45 per-cent reduction in carbon emissions system wide by 2021. The emission reductions result from a number of steps the company is taking to transform how it produces and delivers energy, including adding signi�cant amounts of low-cost wind and solar energy, and encouraging energy ef�ciency. The company is also retiring aging coal units and repowering some facilities with cleaner natural gas. Employees are encouraged to explore and share the

report with their key business contacts and stakeholders. The full report is published online, making it easy to access and send to large customers, investors, policy-makers, community leaders and others who might be interested in the range of issues and accomplishments it covers. In addition, Xcel Energy has published a 2016 Corporate Re-sponsibility Highlights brochure to help promote the report and high-level accomplishments. Copies of the brochure can be obtained by emailing corporateresponsibility@xcelenergy.com.

2016 Corporate Responsibility Report

ALWAYS DELIVERING.

16 XTRA JULY 1, 2017

New app helps mobilize energyShawn Bielke discusses the new app with employees

Customers have asked, and Xcel Energy answered. A new mobile app designed for both iOS and Android de-vices and released on May 30 provides outage information and account access for residential customers to pay their energy bills, among other features.

Smartphones have become increasingly commonplace in today’s world. Customers now expect businesses to have mobile apps to provide for their needs in a quick, ef�cient manner.

The speed at which mobile apps ful�ll needs has changed the way businesses interact with their customers, said Shawn Bielke, product portfolio manager with Customer Solutions. People use apps for paying bills in banking apps and discover the latest news through social media apps on a regular basis. Utility companies are no different, he added, and Xcel Energy is paving the way for its customers to engage with the company in a whole new way.

Bielke worked closely with each team involved with the development of the app. The planning process, which began Oc-tober 2016, involved many different teams, creating partnerships between Xcel Energy and other companies that helped develop the app throughout different stages of the process. Fusion Hill, a Minneapolis-based research and strategy company, worked with Xcel Energy to help determine the needs and desires customers are looking for in a mobile app.

“We went into customers’ homes for two or three hours, talked with them about their energy use and how they interact with service providers,” said Bielke. “And before we went in and talked with them, they had to �ll out a 28-page journal.”

Customers were asked to �ll out paperwork that included, among other things, a section asking them to draw an app, particularly including what they would want to see in a service-type app.

From that research, �ve key tenets were developed, he said. It was important that the app be:• Personalized• Speci�c• Actionable• Transparent• Enjoyable

A total of 20 customer pro�les were completed through-out the research process. During the co-creation phase of the research, customers split into three groups and designed three different apps that resembled the desires presented through the customer research effort. Xcel Energy then worked with designers from Kubra, an app development company, to create the new customer offering.

Core functions that customers wanted included the ability to pay a bill within in the app, the reporting and viewing of

17 JULY 1, 2017

New app helps mobilize energyoutage information, and the ability to view energy use. The research brought to light that the most engaging part of the mobile app could be the energy-usage portion, he said.

The app leverages similar services shared with Xcel Energy’s “My Accounts” web-based customer portal, which in turn brings over its core functionality from xcelenergy.com, including statistics, energy use and the ability to compare data with neighbors.

“A lot of utility apps to date look about the same,” Bielke said. “They don’t feel like Facebook, they don’t feel like your typical banking apps or other apps that our customers use the most.” One of the main goals of the project involved making the app feel like other apps that people use every day and are famil-iar with, he said. During the design process, the key objective was to ensure the app was customer-focused. User testing also helped the project team establish an un-derstanding of how customers would use the app. A prototype allowed customers to click through different areas of the app and provide feedback. This allowed for comprehensive research through testing the app in a real-time manner to observe behav-ior before launching the app to all customers, he said. “The biggest hurdle is not only making the app work for customers, but making sure it’s rooted in sound data and analyt-

ics,” Bielke said. “We needed an app that met our customers’ speci�c needs around their use of energy.” The team has since developed a �ve-year plan for improve-ments to the app. Within the next few months, more features will be offered, he said, with much more to come in the future. Upcoming updates include adding energy programs such as Saver’s Switch and WindSource energy usage information and tips, as well as home screen improvements to make it more personalized to the customer. Analyzing customer feedback also will be important to making updates to the app as needs change over time, he said. “Listening to the customer through reviews and feedback – and by using data and analytics – will ensure that each new iterative of the app will produce greater value for customers,” he said. The app has currently garnered more than 20,000 down-loads from customers across both iOS and Android platforms. The goal is to reach 40,000 downloads by the end of 2017, roughly equaling one percent of Xcel Energy’s entire customer base. “I’m ecstatic at how good the app looks now, but it’s going to look even better in just a couple of months,” Bielke said. “We wanted to get the foundation right, and then build on that.”

18 XTRA JULY 1, 2017

People

Friends We’ll MissWilliam L Ash, 98, supervisor, Gas Shop, Denver, Colo., died on Feb. 6, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1948 to 1983.

Glenn L. Barber, 86, plant vehicle mechanic, Operations, Hayden Station, Hayden, Colo., died on Dec. 23, 2016. He worked for PSCo from 1981 to 1995.

Aurthur R. Baston, 85, working foreman, Gas, Arvada Service Center, Arvada, Colo., died on March 23, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1958 to 1992.

Morton N. Blinderman, 93, me-chanic, Transportation, St Paul, Minn., died on April 22, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1970 to 1985.

Bruce W. Burbank, 87, planning en-gineer, Prudential Plaza, Denver, Colo., died on March 17, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1964 to 1989.

Ronald L. Cantler, 80, mechanic, Gas Operations, Fargo Service Center, Fargo, N.D., died on April 21, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1959 to 1992.

Joseph A. Case, 81, working over-head foreman, Brighton Service Center, Brighton, Colo., died on March 15, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1957 to 1994.

Denis Caterer, 87, working foreman, Transportation, Kipling Service Center, Lakewood, Colo., died on March 28, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1959 to 1992.

Dee W. Crabtree, 59, chemical tech-nologist A, Plant Engineering, Jones Station, Lubbock, Texas, died on April 18, 2017. He worked for SPS from 1981 until the time of his death.

Bob G. Culver, 90, shift supervisor, Valmont Station, Boulder, Colo., died on April 10, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1946 to 1988.

Eugene J. Dagustino, 86, supervisor, Gas Utility, White Bear Lake Service Center, White Bear Lake, Minn, died April 10, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1951 to 1987.

Anthony O. De Waele, 84, welder specialist, King Plant, Bayport, Minn., died on April 12, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1961 to 1992.

Richard O. Dickinson, 89, division manager, 39th Ave Engineering Build-ing, Colorado, died on March 12, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1953 to 1990.

Ruth A. Ely, 81, switchboard operator, Administrative, Pampa, Texas, died on March 23, 2017. She worked for SPS from 1981 to 1997.

Karen Flanigan, 55, BSC representa-tive, BSC Customer Service, Amarillo Call Center , Amarillo, Texas, died on April 17, 2017. She worked for Xcel Energy from 2001 until the time of her death.

Gerald R. Johnson, 86, Safety, Gen-eral Of�ce, Minneapolis, Minn., died on April 18, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1951 to 1988.

Maletus A. Johnson, 73, lead �tter, Gas Operations, Fort Collins, Colo., died on April 24, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1965 to 2002.

Edward J. Kelly, 91, operations supervisor, Gas Utility, St Paul, Minn., died on Nov. 1, 2016. He worked for NSP from 1947 to 1987.

Donald Kilcher, 81, division planner, Engineering and Construction, Newport Service Center, Newport, Minn., died on April 19, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1955 to 1992.

Scott E. Kildahl, 86, payroll admin-istrator, Division Management, Fargo, N.D., died on April 9, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1952 to 1988.

Nero Kindred, Jr, 91, senior clerk, Building Services, Denver, Colo., died on March 27, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1963 to 1986.

James W. Krouch, 76, unit manager, Electric Operations, Cheyenne Service Center, Cheyenne, Wyo., died on March 23, 2017. He worked for CLF&P from 1964 to 2000.

Robert J. Kurkowski, 86, cus-tomer service representative, Electric Operations, Mankato Service Center , Mankato, Minn., died on April 16, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1959 to 1988.

Louis P. La Conte, 94, meter reading supervisor, Customer Service, Chilled Water Center, Denver, Colo, died on April 7, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1941 to 1985.

Frank J. Lindell, 87, laborer, Gas Utility, Minnesota, died on March 19, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1952 to 1988.

Harley A. Luttrell Jr., 84, superinten-dent, Gas Control, Rice Street Service Center, St. Paul, Minn., died on Feb. 6, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1951 to 1991.

John E. Martin, 93, manager, Engineer-ing, Colorado, died on March 29, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1948 to 2010.

Sidney M. Martinson, 94, engineer-ing administrator, Capital Asset Ac-counting, General Of�ce, Minneapolis, Minn., died on April 7, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1949 to 1987.

Brian J. Mattyasovsky, 35, service �tter apprentice, Gas Operations, Valen-tia Service Center, Denver, Colo., died on April 23, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 2013 until the time of his death.

Marvin D. McDaniel, 88, managing di-rector, Energy Accounting, Seventeenth St. Plaza, Denver, Colo., died on April 6, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1955 to 1989.

Richard J. Neelley, 70, system programmer, Systems Management, Texas, died on April 27, 2017. He worked for SPS from 1975 to 1997.

Barry L. Peterson, 70, plant superin-tendent, Operations, Black Dog Plant, Burnsville, Minn., died on March 17, 2017. He worked for NSP from 2002 to 2012.

Walter S. Piechowski, 88, utilization foreman, Gas Service, Rice Street Service Center, St. Paul, Minn., died on April 3, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1948 to 1987.

Donald A. Taube, 70, gas helper, Gas Construction, Rice Street Control Center, St. Paul, Minn., died on April 6, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1980 to 2001.

Lyle G. Scribner, 94, lead plant equip-ment operator, High Bridge Plant, St. Paul, Minn., died on March 29, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1947 to 1981.

Larry D. Smith, 78, �tter serviceman, Gas Operations, Cheyenne Service Center , Cheyenne, Wyo., died on April 7, 2017. He worked for CLF&P from 1970 to 2003.

Roger W. Summer, 78, unit manager, Gas Operations, Valentia Service Center, Denver, Colo., died on April 10, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1962 to 1995.

John Stickler, 84, foreman, Un-derground Construction, Rice Street Service Center, St. Paul, Minn., died on April 16, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1954 to 1988.

William V. Taylor, 85, senior associate engineer, Hayden Generating Station, Hayden, Colo., died on April 27, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1973 to 1994.

David C. Waselkow, 77, senior techni-cal instructor, Energy Supply, Golden, Colo., died on March 16, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy from 1961 to 2003.

James C. Worley, 65, �eld operations supervisor, Roswell Service Center, Ro-swell, N.M., died on March 10, 2017. He worked for SPS from 1976 to 2010.

Eli Yakich, Jr., 89, service manager, Electric Energy Services, Denver, Colo., died on April 2, 2017. He worked for PSCo from 1949 to 1989.

James L. Yarbough, 77, instrument and construction specialist, Black Dog Plant, Burnsville, Minn., died on April 30, 2017. He worked for NSP from 1968 to 1997.

RetiringHank Abeyta, working foreman, Northeast Substations, Boulder, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 33 years.

J.D. Adams, working foreman, Hayden Station, Hayden, Colo., retired on May 31, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 35 years.

Robert Avery, supervisor, Panhandle Substations, Amarillo, Texas, retired on April 28, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 41 years.

Karen Barbich (Kbarbich@comcast.net), engineering technician, Design De-partment, North Metro Region, Arvada, Colo., retired on May 26, 2017. She worked for Xcel Energy for 41 years.

Rodney Bemis (rodBemis@gmail.com), senior designer, Electric Design, St. Cloud, Minn., retired on April 6, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 38 years.

Joseph Bertles, lead mechanic, Greeley Service Center, Greeley, Colo., retired on May 31, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 37 years.

Mark Bistodeau (markbistodeau@yahoo.com), lead rigger, Sherco Plant, Becker, Minn., retired on May 16, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 34 years.

Jerry Brink (JbreF74@msn.com), electrician specialist, Valmont Station, Boulder, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 32 years.

Richard Bryant, lead service �tter, Southeast Service Center, Denver, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 44 years.

Stephen Buck, working foreman, Metro Substations, Lipan Distribution Center, Denver, Colo., retired on May 30 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 41 years.

Laura Carlson, analyst, Property Services, 414 Nicollet, Minneapolis, Minn., retired on May 19, 2017. She worked for Xcel Energy for 31 years.

19 JULY 1, 2017

William Carlson, foreman relay specialist, Eau Claire, Wis., retired on March 3, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 37 years.

Tevry Chial, control center leader, Rice St. Control Center, Minneapolis, Minn., retired on May 31, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 37 years.

Dave Cook, working foreman, Denver Substations, Lipan Distribution Center, Denver, Colo., retired on April 28, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 46 years.

Ann Curtis (anncurtis@baldwin-telecom.net), lead equipment operator, Operations, Wescott Gas Plant, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., retired on Jan. 2, 2017. She worked for Xcel Energy for 15 years.

Eloy Duran (eloyjduran@gmail.com), substation electrician specialist, Denver Substations, Lipan Distribution Center, Denver, Colo., retired on May 31, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 39 years.

Dave Engelhardt (daveengelhardt@comcast.net), programmer III, Electric EMS, Lookout Center, Golden, Colo., retired on Feb. 1, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 43 years.

Robert Estrada, working foreman, Electric Meter, Arvada Service Center, Arvada, Colo., retired on May 11, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 44 years.

Andrew Gallegos, control specialist, Operations, Zuni Station, Denver, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 33 years.

Victor Gardino (Vgardino@comcast.net), service �tter, Gas Construction, Arvada Service Center, Arvada, Colo., retired on May 31, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 45 years.

Rose Gaytan, senior associate, Exten-sion Process, Arvada Headquarters, Arvada, Colo., retired on May 26, 2017. She worked for Xcel Energy for 30 years.

Larry Glass, engineer, Energy Supply, Sherco Plant, Becker, Minn., retired on May 5, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 32 years.

Scott Hedenskog (Hedenskog@comcast.net), designer, Design, Kipling Service Center, Lakewood, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 45 years.

Scott Hendricks (skhendrii@smail.com), planner, Design, Mesa County Operations, Grand Junction, Colo., retired on May 19, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 38 years.

Larry Herman, control specialist, Valmont Generating Station, Boulder, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 35 years.

Anne Heuer (aw.heuer@hotmail.com), director, Revenue Requirements, 401 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minn., retired on April 3, 2017. She worked for Xcel Energy for 41 years.

Wayne Heuer (aw.heuer@hotmail.com), manager, Capital Asset Account-ing, 401 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minn., retired on April 3, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 35 years.

Kerry Hulkovich (hulk721@hotmail.com), plant operator, Operations, Pawnee Station, Brush, Colo., retired on May 31, 2017. She worked for Xcel Energy for 26 years.

William Ingram (Stacie.ingram@skydeam.com), electrician specialist, Northeast Substations, Boulder, Colo., retired on May 31, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 37 years.

Randal Kauffman (saber44@msn.com), control specialist, Pawnee Operations, Brush, Colo., retired on May 25, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 23 years.

Lenny Keer, senior electric meterman, Electric Meter, Greeley Service Center, Greeley, Colo., retired on May 31, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 39 years.

Gary Kreutzer, working foreman, North Metro Gas Operations, Brighton Service Center, Brighton, Colo., retired on May 19, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 38 years.

Paul Laberoa, systems relay special-ist, Relay Department, Maple Grove Service Center, Maple Grove, Minn., retired on May 1, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 30 years.

Bob Lambert (leawhiz@msn.com), elec-trician specialist, Denver Substations, Denver, Colo., retired on May 26, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 43 years.

Bob Leeper, distribution specialist, Electric Trouble, Lipan Distribution Center, Denver, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 38 years.

Sherwood Lowry (w2211@aol.com), mobile �eet technician, West Minnesota Fleet, Maple Grove, Minn., retired on May 30, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 32 years.

James Maleitzke (Jmmaleitzke@yahoo.com), lead plant operator, Gas Storage, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., retired on May 31, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 35 years.

Anita Martin, pipe�tter, Pressure Control, Lipan Service Center, Denver, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. She worked for Xcel Energy for 34 years.

Thomas Mascarenas, working fore-man, Line Department, Greeley Service Center, Greeley Colo., retired on May 24, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 34 years.

Doyle McCoy, lineman, Arvada Line Department, Arvada, Colo., retired on May 31, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 29 years.

Katie McLemore (katiemclemore@suddenlink.net), credit specialist, Residential Credit, Credit Call Center, Amarillo, Texas, retired on May 31 2017. She worked for Xcel Energy for 39 years.

Jim McMullen (jim4macs@msn.com), designer, Design Department, Valentia Service Center, Denver, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 41 years.

Douglas Neal (my1hero@reagan.com), classi�ed substation mechanic, Substation Shop, Lipan Distribution Center, Denver, Colo., retired on April 28, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 36 years.

Russell Nichols (convon6144@msn.com), lead machinist, Maintenance, Prairie Island Plant, Welch, Minn., retired on April 4, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 39 years.

Randy Oehlert (roehlert46@msn.com), lead �tter, Gas Control Equipment, Lipan Distribution Center, Denver, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 37 years.

Carolyn Otstott, designer, Design, Southwest Metro Region, Lakewood, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. She worked for Xcel Energy for 40 years.

Doug Propp, working foreman, High Pressure Gas, Brighton Service Center, Brighton, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 38 years.

Robert Ramsey (ramsren@aol.com), lead gas �tter, Gas Control Equipment, Lipan Distribution Center, Denver, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 33 years.

Mark Rhodes, working foreman, Line Construction, Lipan Service Center, Denver, Colo., retired on April 28, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 39 years.

Pete Ring, crew foreman, Construction and Maintenance, Western Avenue Service Center, Eau Claire, Wis., retired on April 31, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 33 years.

Carmen Salazar (carsal53@yahoo.com), senior associate, Hereford Service, Hereford, Texas, retired on April 28, 2017. She worked for Xcel Energy for 39 years.

Lorraine Schire (lbschire@comcast.net), sales account specialist, Account Management, Rice Street, St. Paul, Minn., retired on May 31, 2017. She worked for Xcel Energy for 46 years.

Don Selchert, designer, Design Department, High Plains Division, Ster-ling, Colo., retired on May 26, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 41 years.

Edd Skinner, lead welder, Gas Department, Fort Collins, Colo., retired on May 19, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 38 years.

Donald Swick, lead �tter, Pueblo Gas Operations, Pueblo, Colo., retired on May 19, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 34 years.

Kent Thornton (thorntonkent7@gmail.com), �eld credit representative, Collections, Lipan Distribution Center, Denver, Colo., retired on May 8, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 35 years.

Karen Timmermeyer (avfan365@comcast.net), planner, Design Depart-ment, North Metro Region, Arvada, Colo., retired on April 28, 2017. She worked for Xcel Energy for 35 years.

Benjamin Velasquez (Benjamin.Velasquez@ATT.net), electrician, Plant Controls, Nichols Station, Amarillo, Texas, retired on April 17, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 40 years.

Gary Verdieck, mechanical working foreman, Hydro West, Shoshone Hydro, Glenwood Springs, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 36 years.

Ron Uglow (rju1955@msn.com), opera-tions supervisor, Operations, Monticello, Minn., retired on May 31, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 30 years.

Timothy Underwood, classi�ed me-chanic, Substations, Lipan Distribution Center, Denver, Colo., retired on May 12, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 38 years.

Tammy Wray, planner, Design and Layout, North Metro Region, Arvada, Colo., retired on Feb 1, 2017. She worked for Xcel Energy for 41 years.

Arthur Wright, senior service �tter, Gas Emergency Response, Southwest Metro Region, Lakewood, Colo., retired on May 30, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 33 years.

Greg Zabel, garage foreman, Fleet, Newport Service Center, Newport, Minn., retired on May 31, 2017. He worked for Xcel Energy for 43 years.

© 2017 Xcel Energy Inc.

A Heads-Up About ConcussionsUse Your Head to Protect Your BrainA concussion is more than getting “your bell rung.” It’s a form of

traumatic brain injury that is very common, but can also be

disabling and have lingering effects.

Concussion awareness, treatment and prevention are the focus of the company’s latest 24/7 safety campaign. Check out the video to hear about the concussion employee Gay Wilcox suffered in a water sports accident last summer that still affects her life today:

tinyurl.com/Xcel247Safety

And visit the 24/7 safety campaign website on XpressNET for more information and resources:Safety > Workplace Safety > Campaigns and Initiatives > 24/7 Safety: Bringing Safety Home

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

XTRAPublished by Xcel EnergyKevin Graham, Editor1800 Larimer Street, 16th FloorDenver, CO 80202Phone: 303.294-2417Fax: 303.294.2968email: Kevin.Graham@xcelenergy.com

Contributors: Josiah Mayo, Josie Crepeau, Wes Reeves, Derek Wolden and Pam Butler

Design: Steve Berry

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDDENVER CO

PERMIT NO 5064

NEW DIGSAmarillo’s new regional headquarters a boon to city and company