Xcel Energy celebrates essential workers who continue working tirelessly through pandemic

Posted

AMARILLO, Texas (March 16, 2021) – Xcel Energy is dedicating this week to celebrating its essential frontline workers who have kept the lights on for customers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

During this challenging time more than 6,000 Xcel Energy employees have continued doing their essential work in service centers, power generating plants and in the field without missing a beat. 

They’ve adjusted to wearing additional personal protective equipment (PPE), having daily temperature checks, and keeping social distance from colleagues at worksites and in company vehicles. 

“I am so pleased that we are celebrating the dedication and commitment of our essential frontline workers,” said Ben Fowke, chairman and CEO of Xcel Energy. “At a time when many of us have had the ability to work safely from home, our essential frontline workers have adjusted to new COVID-19 protocols and continued to deliver electricity and natural gas services to our customers and communities when they’ve needed it most.” 

“We appreciate our essential frontline workers every day, but this year we are thrilled to publicly thank them and honor the fact that they have gone above and beyond to deliver for the company and our customers during this very challenging time,” said Bob Frenzel, president and COO of Xcel Energy. 

In Xcel Energy’s Texas-New Mexico territory, work continued unabated on several critical projects that have made the grid stronger and more capable to serve an economy that continues to grow. In December 2020, the company placed the 522-megawatt Sagamore Wind Project in service that is delivering tens of millions of dollars in fuel cost savings annually, and several key transmission links and new substations were completed in both states in the past 12 months. 

“Our essential employees have done a great service for their communities,” said David Hudson, president, Xcel Energy – New Mexico, Texas. “On top of the major grid enhancement projects they completed, they worked through extreme heat during the summer and two historic winter storms since October to keep the power flowing.”

Throughout the week, Xcel Energy is hosting COVID-safe events in each of the eight states it serves, providing essential workers with free meals and special thanks for their dedicated service during this time.

About Xcel Energy: Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: 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.