At Xcel Energy, we remain committed to our environmental leadership 

strategy. We aggressively pursue innovative clean energy technologies, 

including emissions reductions, renewable resources, energy efficiency 

programs and new technologies.

e m i s s i o n s 

The installation of low nitrogen-oxide burners at our Harrington Generation Station 

coal plant resulted in a 50 percent reduction of NOx emissions from two units with the new 

burner technology. Burner tune-ups at our Tolk coal plant reduced NOx emissions 35 percent 

each in two units. Together, the upgrades result in 1,000 tons less NOx a month.

Burning low-sulfur coal from Wyoming, ongoing modifications and newly installed 

neural-networked “learning” software have combined to improve combustion 

efficiency and reduce emissions at our coal plants.

Emission-control and efficiency projects

Harrington 

Unit 1

Optimization and burner tuning, reduce NOx 950 tons per year

Expansion joint replacement on preheaters in 2010, saving 

40,250 tons CO2 over life of project

In late 2010, unit 1 boiler modification will result in significant 

NOx reduction

Tolk Unit 1 Pre-heater basket replacement, reduce CO2 30,000 tons over 

life of project 

Neural-network installation, reduce NOx 161 tons a year

Tolk Units 1 and 2 Hydrogen generator installation, reduce CO2 141,579 tons over 

life of project

W e ar e connecte d ... to a c l e a n ene r g y fu t u r e ... to o ur c u sto m e r s ... to the co mmu nities we se r v e .

2010 our clean energy future | Texas and New Mexico

clean energy futur e

“For Xcel Energy, environmental 

leadership is more than just a 

promise. We have the results to 

prove our commitment – and 

every effort moves us closer to a 

clean energy future.”

– Dick Kelly, 

Xcel Energy Chairman and CEO

business

innovation

En e r g y 

E fficiency

advanced

technologies
texas and new mexico 2010 Our clean energy future

1-800-895-4999 | xcelenergy.com

© 2010 Xcel Energy Inc. | Xcel Energy is a registered trademark of Xcel Energy Inc.

Southwestern Public Service Company, an Xcel Energy Company | 10-05-418 | 05/2010

technology

Energy from renewable sources is a 

growing part of our energy mix because it 

provides clean, cost-effective energy to our 

customers, and it supports our emissionsreduction goals.

Texas and New Mexico had about 846 

megawatts of wind connected to its system 

at the end of 2009, with 443 megawatts 

under long-term contract. Our pursuit of 

long-term agreements with renewable 

energy providers – wind, biomass, solar and 

others – and our investment in transmission, 

distribution and generation efficiency 

projects – compliments our vision for 

addressing potentially rising fuel costs and 

emissions expenses.

New Mexico community 

solar projects

New Mexico utility-scale solar: SunEdison 

ground mounted photovoltaic with first 

units online in 2011 (five 10-megawatt 

sites located in Lea and Eddy counties).

Electric customers of Xcel Energy in New 

Mexico can apply for Solar*Rewards’ 

incentives on small and medium solar 

photovoltaic (PV) generating systems 

installed on their homes and businesses. 

Xcel Energy and Eastern New Mexico 

University-Roswell broke ground on a 

35-kilowatt solar installation at the campus 

on the Roswell International Air Center.

The project is part of Xcel Energy’s New 

Mexico Community Solar program, which is 

placing solar installations in four eastern and 

southeastern New Mexico communities to 

educate students and customers about the 

benefits of solar power.

En e r g y e f f i c i e n c y a n d 

load management

T exas

Spending $4,094,760

Savings

Generator kW 9,220

Generator MWh 10,275

New Mexico

Spending $3,025,182

Savings

Generator kW 2,640

Generator MWh 11,156

i n n o v at i o n 

Xcel Energy pioneered the use of 

baghouses, which trap the ash from using 

coal, at our Tolk and Harrington coal 

plants. While some dispose of coal ash in 

landfills, we recycle 100 percent of it. In 

2009, we recaptured and recycled 363,001 

tons of fly ash.

The 600-megawatt Hobbs Generating 

Station in New Mexico, with which we 

have a long-term purchase agreement, 

uses a cooling system that consumes 90 

percent less water than gas-fired power 

plants of the same size; uses combinedcycle technology, burning natural gas about 

40 percent more efficiently and emitting 

800,000 tons less of carbon dioxide a year 

than an older plant, effectively reducing 

carbon emissions in our service territory by 

3.5 percent.

Xcel Energy is seeking approval to add a 

new, highly efficient 168-megawatt natural 

gas-fired combustion turbine at its Jones 

Generating Station near Lubbock.

SPS saved 157 billion gallons 

of fresh water by cooling with 

recycled municipal treated 

effluent at Harrington and Nichols 

generation stations northwest of 

Amarillo and Jones Generation 

Station near Lubbock, since 1980.

In many states, such as Texas, 

Xcel Energy has more renewable 

energy on its system than is 

needed for compliance for 

renewable energy standards. 

Renewable energy credits (RECs) 

are debundled from renewable 

energy and sold in the market. In 

2009, Xcel Energy sold more than 

1.1 million RECs from wind energy 

generated in Texas, New Mexico 

and Colorado. The RECS were 

generated from wind produced in 

2006 through 2009.

R esource P lanning

•	 Add 50 MW of solar in New Mexico

by 2012

•	 Increase wind portfolio by up to

300 MW, for a long-term purchase 

agreement total of approximately 

750 by 2015

•	 Add 168-MW efficient combustion

turbine unit at Jones Generating 

Station just east of Lubbock

•	 Research biomass opportunities