Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL, Financial), through its wholly owned subsidiary Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS), has filed a comprehensive Texas System Resiliency Plan (SRP) with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) as of December 30, 2024. This strategic initiative aims to address resiliency-related risks and outlines five key measures designed to enhance the company's ability to prevent, withstand, mitigate, or recover from potential resiliency events, including wildfires.
The SRP, which spans from 2025 to 2028, includes the following measures:
Distribution Overhead Hardening: This involves replacing and reinforcing critical components of the distribution overhead system to improve durability and reliability.
Distribution System Protection Modernization: SPS plans to install enhanced reclosers, upgrade communications equipment, and replace substation relay panels and breakers to modernize the protection systems.
Communication Modernization: The plan includes building a private LTE network, installing fiber optic cables, and adding remote terminal units to enhance communication capabilities.
Operational Flexibility: SPS intends to procure mobile substation equipment and install additional switching devices to increase operational flexibility.
Wildfire Mitigation: The plan incorporates the use of weather stations, advanced modeling, artificial intelligence, and vegetation management to mitigate wildfire risks.
A procedural schedule for the SRP is anticipated in the first quarter of 2025, with a decision from the PUCT expected in the second quarter of 2025. This initiative underscores Xcel Energy's commitment to operational safety, long-term planning, and resilience in the face of evolving environmental and regulatory challenges.
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