Improved high-voltage transmission loop to keep pace with economic growth

ROSWELL, N.M. - Xcel Energy has finalized plans for additional work on the high-voltage electric transmission loop serving Roswell as part of the company's larger Power for the Plains grid reliability and capacity improvement projects.

Work began in 2013 to upgrade the Capitan Substation in western Roswell to accommodate 115-kilovolt transmission service, and a new, nine-mile segment of 115-kilovolt line connecting Roswell Substation in the central part of the city to Capitan was completed earlier this year.

A second phase of construction will start in the spring of 2017 as the company builds a 10-mile, 115 kilovolt line between the Capitan and Price substations in north Roswell and a 4.7-mile 115-kilovolt line connecting the Price and Chaves County substations. An existing 69-kilovolt transmission line south of Roswell will be removed from service when the new lines are complete.

Transmission lines are the "superhighways" of the regional power grid, moving power from generation sources to load centers where it is delivered to local distribution systems. The total investment in the Roswell transmission projects is close to $30 million.

"Our system has to serve not only today's needs, but also be built for future growth," said Mike McLeod, regional manager of community and economic development in Roswell. "The best way to prepare for these needs is to upgrade the existing 69-kilovolt system to 115 kilovolts, and to ensure we have multiple pathways for power to flow in the event of an outage on the system."

Xcel Energy began an effort to upgrade and expand its regional transmission network in 2010 when it launched the Power for the Plains initiative. Additionally, the company continues to upgrade distribution systems that deliver power directly to customers, along with expansion and improvement to its regional power generation plants. Between now and 2019, Xcel Energy plans to invest close to $3.2 billion in capital projects in its New Mexico and Texas service areas.

-"We've experienced growth in all part of our service area, and we expect this growth to continue over the next several years," McLeod said. "Our communities depend on us to make timely investments in the system that feeds their economic success, and the Roswell project is one of many investments we are making that will impact our communities for decades to come."

More information on regional transmission projects such as the Roswell loop improvements can be found at www.powerfortheplains.com.

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Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company with regulated operations in eight Western and Midwestern states. Xcel Energy provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and More information is available at www.xcelenergy.com.

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