UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) Nov. 1, 2016
| Commission File Number | Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter; State of Incorporation; Address of Principal Executive Offices; and Telephone Number | IRS Employer Identification Number | ||
| 001-3034 | XCEL ENERGY INC. | 41-0448030 | ||
| (a Minnesota corporation) | ||||
| 414 Nicollet Mall | ||||
| Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401 | ||||
| (612) 330-5500 | ||||
| 001-03789 | SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY | 75-0575400 | ||
| (a New Mexico corporation) | ||||
| Tyler at Sixth | ||||
| Amarillo, Texas 79101 | ||||
| (303) 571-7511 | ||||
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
£ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
£ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
£ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
£ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Item 8.01. Other Events
On Nov. 1, 2016, Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS), a New Mexico corporation, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Xcel Energy Inc., filed an electric rate case with the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) for an increase in base rates of approximately $41.4 million. This represents a total revenue increase of approximately 10.9 percent. The rate filing is based on a future test year ending June 30, 2018, a requested return on equity of 10.1 percent, an electric rate base of approximately $832 million, and an equity ratio of 53.97 percent.
SPS has excluded fuel and purchased power costs from base rates, as ordered by the NMPRC in SPS’ last electric rate case. This base rate case also takes into account the decline in sales of 380 megawatts in 2017 from certain wholesale customers and seeks to adjust the service life of SPS’ Tolk generating station.
The major components of the requested rate increase are summarized below:
| (Millions of Dollars) | Request | |||
| Capital expenditures | $ | 20.1 | ||
| Allocator changes, including wholesale load reductions | 11.5 | |||
| Transmission expense, net of revenue, including charges paid to Southwest Power Pool for construction of regionally shared transmission projects | 4.7 | |||
| Depreciation, including adjustment of service life for the Tolk generating station | 3.6 | |||
| Rate case expenses | 1.1 | |||
| Other, net | 0.4 | |||
| Requested rate increase | $ | 41.4 | ||
SPS is requesting that new rates go into effect on December 1, 2016, but expects the NMPRC to follow its standard practice of suspending the rates pending review. An NMPRC decision and implementation of final rates is anticipated in the second half of 2017.
Certain information discussed in this Current Report on Form 8-K is forward-looking information that involves risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Forward-looking information includes, among other information, the expected impact of SPS’ electric rate case and the proposed rate increase, and other statements identified by words such as “may,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “would,” or “plan.” Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although Xcel Energy believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, any such statements may be influenced by factors that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those projected. Factors, in addition to those discussed in Xcel Energy’s and SPS’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2015, and subsequent securities filings, that could cause actual results to differ materially include: general economic conditions, including inflation rates, monetary fluctuations and their impact on capital expenditures and the ability of Xcel Energy Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, Xcel Energy) to obtain financing on favorable terms; business conditions in the energy industry; including the risk of a slow down in the U.S. economy or delay in growth recovery; trade, fiscal, taxation and environmental policies in areas where Xcel Energy and SPS have a financial interest; customer business conditions; actions of credit rating agencies; competitive factors including the extent and timing of the entry of additional competition in the markets served by Xcel Energy and its subsidiaries; unusual weather; effects of geopolitical events, including war and acts of terrorism; cyber security threats and data security breaches; state, federal and foreign legislative and regulatory initiatives that affect cost and investment recovery, have an impact on rates or have an impact on asset operation or ownership; or impose environmental compliance conditions; structures that affect the speed and degree to which competition enters the electric and natural gas markets; costs and other effects of legal and administrative proceedings, settlements, investigations and claims; financial or regulatory accounting policies imposed by regulatory bodies; outcomes of regulatory proceedings; availability of cost of capital; and employee work force factors. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Xcel Energy expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Nov. 2, 2016 | Xcel Energy Inc. (a Minnesota corporation) |
Southwestern Public Service Company (a New Mexico corporation) | |
| /s/ ROBERT C. FRENZEL | |
| Robert C. Frenzel | |
| Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | |