Electricity, and the company that provides it, delivers more than just cool comfort on hot summer days across the towns and cities of Xcel Energy’s Texas and New Mexico service area.

Committed to doing more than just keeping the lights on, Xcel Energy focuses on spending locally and supporting neighbors with hundreds of skilled employees who give back to their home communities.

Recently compiled data shows that Xcel Energy spent more than $103 million in area towns and cities during 2016 as it continued a historic capital investment initiative that will position the regional power grid for years of growth and upgrades. That’s money spent on anything from steel and concrete for new high-voltage power lines down to food, fuel and lodging for linemen and substation workers building new power facilities and working to restore power after storms.

Xcel Energy employs approximately 1,700 men and women in Texas and New Mexico to serve more than 370,000 customers. The company operates more than 22,000 miles of power lines, eight generating plants and 490 substations in the company’s 52,000 square mile Texas-New Mexico service area. These valuable facilities benefit local cities, counties and school districts in the form of sales and property taxes. Total taxes paid by Xcel Energy, including franchise fees paid to area cities, amounted to more than $29 million in 2016.

“Our roots in the southwest go back to 1904, and we grew up with the towns and cities in our service area,” said David Hudson, president, Xcel Energy – New Mexico, Texas. “We live and work here, and the hours employees spend volunteering are just as valuable to Xcel Energy as the time they spend ensuring the company delivers safe, affordable and reliable electric service. We understand the responsibility we have to invest in our region and help it prosper.”

Xcel Energy employees and retirees, with help from Xcel Energy Foundation matching dollars, supported their hometowns with more than $1 million in donations to nonprofits in 2016, a figure that includes more than $800,000 to area United Way organizations. Employees also donated close to 2,000 volunteer hours assisting dozens of area nonprofits, and these hours were matched with Dollars for Doing gifts from the Xcel Energy Foundation.

As older workers move toward retirement in increasing numbers, Xcel Energy hopes to replenish its regional workforce with men and women who grew up in the area and wish to remain here to start families and advance their careers. The company recruits potential new employees not only from regional universities, but also from high schools. Beginning apprentice salaries for craft positions start at close to $50,000 a year, before overtime, and all employees are encouraged to continue their educations by utilizing tuition reimbursement programs that cover up to 80 percent of degree program costs.

“If we can attract more home-grown talent, we know these young people will likely remain with us for many years,” Hudson said. “This is not only good for us, but also for the towns where these employees live and work because our employees are very generous with their time and talents.”

Looking ahead, Hudson expects the company’s impact on the regional economy to grow larger as it lays plans for additional investment in the power lines and generating equipment that will drive the regional economy for years to come. In March, Xcel Energy announced plans for $1.6 billion in new wind energy facilities that will add 1,230 megawatts of low-cost wind energy to the regional generation mix. The largest of the new wind farms, Sagamore Wind, will be built south of Portales, N.M., with another large project, Hale Wind, planned in Hale County northeast of Lubbock. Energy from these new company-owned facilities, when combined with the energy from a new wind contract signed with an outside developer, will generate savings of $2.8 billion for regional electricity customers over 30 years.

More information about Xcel Energy’s wind proposal and other investments in the regional power system can be found at www.xcelenergy.com/ourenergyfuturesw.

About Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) provides the energy that powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company is an industry leader in responsibly reducing carbon emissions and producing and delivering clean energy solutions from a variety of renewable sources at competitive prices. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

(News release from Xcel Energy)