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) Feb. 2, 2015
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 | ||||
001-31387 | NORTHERN STATES POWER COMPANY | 41-1967505 | ||
(a Minnesota corporation) | ||||
414 Nicollet Mall | ||||
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401 | ||||
(612) 330-5500 | ||||
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Item 8.01. Other Events
In 2013, Northern States Power Company Minnesota (NSP-Minnesota), a Minnesota corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Xcel Energy Inc., completed the Monticello life cycle management (LCM)/extended power uprate (EPU) project. The multi-year project extended the life of the facility and increased the capacity from 600 to 671 megawatts (MW). Monticello LCM/EPU project expenditures were approximately $665 million. Total capitalized costs were approximately $748 million, which includes allowance for funds used during construction (AFUDC). Project expenditures were initially estimated at approximately $320 million, excluding AFUDC.
In 2013, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) initiated an investigation to determine whether the final costs for the Monticello LCM/EPU project were prudent.
NSP-Minnesota filed a report to support the change and prudence of the incurred costs. The filing indicated the increase in costs was primarily attributable to three factors: (1) the original estimate was based on a high level conceptual design and the project scope increased as the actual conditions of the plant were incorporated into the design; (2) implementation difficulties, including the amount of work that occurred in confined and radioactive or electrically sensitive spaces and NSP-Minnesota’s and its vendors’ ability to attract and retain experienced workers; and (3) additional Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing related requests over the five-plus year application process.
The cost deviation is in line with similar nuclear upgrade projects undertaken by other utilities. In addition, the project remains economically beneficial to customers. NSP-Minnesota has received all necessary licenses from the NRC for the Monticello EPU, and has begun the process to comply with the license requirements for higher power levels, subject to NRC oversight and review.
In July 2014, the Minnesota Department of Commerce (DOC) filed testimony and recommended a disallowance of recovery of approximately $71.5 million of project costs on a Minnesota jurisdictional basis.
In August 2014, the Office of Attorney General (OAG) filed rebuttal testimony and recommended a disallowance of recovery of $321 million for the entire NSP System (based on a total capitalized cost of $748 million), and no return on $107 million.
On Feb. 2, 2015, an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) issued his report finding that NSP-Minnesota was imprudent in managing the project. Consistent with the DOC’s position, the ALJ proposed: (1) 85 percent of the project cost be assigned to EPU costs and applied the DOC’s cost-effectiveness test; and (2) disallowance of recovery of approximately $71.5 million of EPU costs, resulting in a reduction of $10.24 million to the 2015 revenue requirement on a Minnesota jurisdictional basis. This would equate to a total NSP System disallowance of approximately $94 million if the MPUC and other state commissions accepted this recommendation. NSP-Minnesota plans to file exceptions to the ALJ’s report with the MPUC.
NSP-Minnesota does not expect a delay to the scheduled proceedings and a final MPUC order is anticipated in the second quarter of 2015. The MPUC decision for the Monticello prudence review is expected to be reflected in the final results of NSP-Minnesota’s pending Minnesota 2014 Multi-Year electric rate case.
Provided a potential disallowance was ordered by the MPUC, it is anticipated that the associated charge would be excluded from ongoing earnings. Xcel Energy reaffirms its 2015 ongoing earnings guidance of $2.00 to $2.15 per share.
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 NSP-Minnesota 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; actions by regulatory bodies impacting our nuclear operations, including those affecting costs, operations or the approval of requests pending before the NRC; financial or regulatory accounting policies imposed by regulatory bodies; availability of cost of capital; employee work force factors; and the other risk factors listed from time to time by Xcel Energy Inc. and NSP-Minnesota 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 NSP-Minnesota’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2013 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2014, June 30, 2014 and Sept. 30, 2014.
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.
Feb. 3, 2015 | Xcel Energy Inc. (a Minnesota corporation) |
Northern States Power Company (a Minnesota corporation) | |
/s/ TERESA S. MADDEN | |
Teresa S. Madden | |
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | |