Wind Energy

Xcel Energy Reports Lower Emissions

Xcel Energy has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by about 10 percent from 2005 levels according to the company’s third annual Corporate Responsibility Report. “We have taken steps to reduce our emissions”,” said Frank Prager, vice president of Environmental Policy and Services for Xcel Energy. “In addition to lowering carbon dioxide emissions, we’ve reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by 34 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by 45 percent since 2005 from our electric generating facilities. We expect even greater reductions from our plans to meet Colorado’s Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act and to repower Black Dog Station in Burnsville, Minnesota.”

Company stakeholders can find details about these efforts in the Clean Energy Future and Environmental Performance sections of the new report, as well as other annual environmental highlights that include:

Investing about $179 million in energy efficiency programs that helped our customers save about 773 GWh of electricity, our best results ever in one year

Saving about 3.1 million kilowatt hours of electricity at company facilities

Completing the 201-MW Nobles Wind Farm project in Minnesota and expanding overall use of renewable energy resources and clean energy technologies for the future

Continuing progress on a significant number of transmission projects

An online overview of the report is available for the first time, as well as the downloadable versions of the full and summary reports. We also provide a special index specific to Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines, making it easier for those who follow the guidelines to find information within the report. Prior to publishing its Corporate Responsibility Report, the company produced its Triple Bottom Line report for four years.

Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) is focused on balancing the need for reliable, affordable energy while building a clean energy future for our customers and the communities we serve. Our commitment to the environment and our communities has been recognized by our inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America in 2010-2011.

We’ve been reducing power plant emissions, promoting energy efficiency and using renewable energy for more than a decade. We’re the No. 1 wind power provider and the No. 5 solar utility in the United States. We offer our 3.4 million electricity and 1.9 million natural gas customers some of the largest conservation programs in the country and have helped our customers save enough energy since 1992 to enable us to avoid building more than 12, medium-size power plants.

We contribute two percent of our earnings, approximately $13 million in 2009, to community non-profit organizations across our eight-state service area in the Midwest and West. We do this through focus giving, concentrating on science and math education, environmental stewardship, job training and preparedness and access to the arts. We also match our employees’ time and gifts to the community including through our annual United Way campaign. Finally, we do everything we can to help our customers one-on-one when they are struggling to pay their energy bills. In 2009, we contributed an additional $16 million toward energy assistance beyond our usual charitable contributions.

We believe we have a responsibility to have a positive impact in all we do — as an employer, neighbor, community advocate and environmental steward.

www.xcelenergy.com