Edgar Filing: XCEL ENERGY INC

Texas 2014 Rate Case Filing

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) Jan. 7, 2014



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	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 Jan. 7, 2014, Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS), a New Mexico corporation, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Xcel Energy Inc., filed a retail electric rate case in Texas with each of its Texas municipalities and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) for a net increase in annual jurisdictional revenue of approximately $52.7 million, or 5.8 percent. The net increase reflects a base rate increase, revenue credits transferred from base rates to rate riders or the fuel clause, and resetting the Transmission Cost Recovery Factor (TCRF) to zero when the final base rates become effective, as shown in the following table:



(Millions of Dollars)	SPS Request
Base rate increase	$	81.5
Resetting TCRF	(12.9		)
Credit to customers for gain on sale to Lubbock moved to a rider	(4.9		)
Net increase in base revenue	$	63.7

Fuel clause offsets	(11.0		)
Retail customer net bill impact	$	52.7

The rate filing is based on a historic test year ending June 2013, a requested return on equity of 10.40 percent, an electric rate base of approximately $1.27 billion and an equity ratio of 53.89 percent. The requested rate increase reflects an approximately $16 million increase in depreciation expense. A PUCT decision and implementation of final rates are anticipated in the third quarter of 2014.

Texas law allows the PUCT to suspend the proposed increase through July 11, 2014, but parties may negotiate a different effective date, depending on whether the case is settled or fully litigated. SPS has requested that interim rates be set at 40 percent of the proposed base rate increase, or $32.6 million, effective March 1, 2014. The PUCT typically does not grant interim rates absent a settlement.

Except for the historical statements contained in this 8-K, the matters discussed herein, including the expected impact of rate cases, are forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements are intended to be identified in this document by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “outlook,” “plan,” “project,” “possible,” “potential,” “should” and similar expressions. Actual results may vary materially. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update them to reflect changes that occur after that date. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to: 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 Inc. 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 Inc. and its subsidiaries; unusual weather; effects of geopolitical events, including war and acts of terrorism; 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; availability of cost of capital; employee work force factors; accounting regulatory; and the other risk factors listed from time to time by Xcel Energy Inc. and SPS in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Risk Factors in Item 1A and Exhibit 99.01 of Xcel Energy Inc.’s and SPS’ Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2012 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, June 30, and Sept. 30, 2013 and SPS' Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q/A for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2013.

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.



Jan. 7, 2014	Xcel Energy Inc. (a Minnesota corporation)
	Southwestern Public Service Company (a New Mexico corporation)

	/s/ TERESA S. MADDEN
	Teresa S. Madden
	Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer