Xcel Energy 2011 Annual Report Download - page 9

requirements. The rule would have required
that the company comply by January 2012,
creating significant cost concerns and
potential reliability problems for our Texas
and New Mexico customers. At the end of
2011, the D.C. Circuit Court issued a stay
on CSAPR. We are hopeful that the court’s
decision on the merits of the rule, expected
later this year, will enable us to comply in a
more reasonable, cost-effective manner.
Caring for our communities
Our work for the communities in our
service territory is just as purposeful as
our work with policymakers because we
recognize that we are only as strong as
the communities we serve. In 2011, we
contributed $4 million in grants through
the Xcel Energy Foundation to promote job
training and placement, science and math
education, environmental stewardship and
access to the arts.
Energized also describes Xcel Energy
employees, who support their communities
through volunteerism and financial
contributions. No effort demonstrates that
commitment better than the support of
our employees and retirees of local United
Way organizations. In 2011, we achieved
our highest United Way campaign goal ever,
pledging $2.76 million, which the company
matched for a total of $5.52 million going
back into the community.
Employee volunteerism takes many
forms. In September 2011, almost
700 Colorado employees and family
members took part in a Day of Service
to mark the 10th anniversary of the
9/11 terrorist attack. Volunteers
contributed their time and talent to 39
nonprofit organizations, with a combined
total of 4,610 volunteer hours. The Day
of Service also kicked off our United
Way campaign in Colorado.
affecting the nuclear industry and the
availability of more comprehensive and
updated information about that proposal.
Keeping our nuclear fleet strong is
fundamental to customer value. That’s why
we were especially pleased in 2011 to reach
a settlement with the federal government
regarding costs incurred because of the
U.S. Department of Energy’s failure to
begin removing used fuel from our nuclear
plant sites by a 1998 deadline. Under the
settlement, about $100 million is in the
process of being returned to customers
in the Upper Midwest.
Working toward
constructive outcomes
Working with state and federal regulators
and legislators to achieve constructive
regulatory and public policy decisions is
vital to our long-term success. We refer to
those efforts as “getting the rules right,”
and we’ve helped establish a variety of
regulatory and legislative mechanisms that
ensure fair recovery of our investments.
It’s a regulatory and public policy compact
that protects the welfare of both customers
and shareholders. We work hard to ensure
our regulators and other public policy
officials understand our business plans
and challenges.
When the situation merits, we take action
on behalf of customers and shareholders. In
2011, we joined a lawsuit filed by numerous
states and utilities in the U.S. Court of
Appeals in Washington, D.C., against the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The lawsuit challenged and sought a stay
of a new Clean Air Act rule called the
Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR).
When it issued CSAPR, the EPA
unexpectedly required power plants in
Texas to comply with its emission reduction
Xcel Energy’s
Jeremy Thompson
(left) worked with
Simon Property
Group’s Laurie
Van Dalen (center)
and Jennifer Lewis
on ways to save
energy and money at
two shopping malls
in Minnesota. Simon
Property Group took
advantage of lighting
retrofit, central
plant modernization
and roof insulation
programs. In addition
to saving energy
and money, Simon
Property Group also
earned rebates for
their efforts. That
prompted them
to encourage their
property managers
in other parts of the
country to explore
energy efficiency
programs.
“We’ve become
the model for other
malls in the country,”
Van Dalen said.
XCEL ENERGY 2011฀ANNUAL฀REPORT฀•฀7