Powering through: Xcel Energy’s commitment to a resilient Texas

In the mostly flat, treeless Llano Estacado of the Texas High Plains, an expansive mesa meets the endless sky, framing a region celebrated for its resilience and spirit. The people here have always faced the elements head-on, from ice storms and hail to tornadoes and wildfires. But as weather becomes more extreme, these challenges have become more frequent and intense. 

To adapt to this evolving landscape Xcel Energy is rolling out a sweeping, multi-year initiative aimed at significantly bolstering the resilience of the power grid.  The Texas System Resiliency Plan is not just a technical document; it's a promise to the people of Texas to make our energy system more robust, capable of withstanding extreme weather, wildfires and even security threats. 

The plan is built on decades of historical data, prioritizing risks by events and geography, and proposes approximately $539 million in investments to reduce the length of power outages, decrease storm recovery costs and improve overall safety and reliability. Specifically, the plan addresses: 

• System hardening: Upgrading and strengthening the grid to make it more resilient to extreme weather by reinforcing poles, conductors, arrestors and fuses, as well as enhancing the overall protection of power lines to reduce the likelihood of failures during extreme weather, improving reliability. 
• System protection and modernization: Adding “self-healing” technology to quickly address faults, reducing outage impacts, and optimize distribution automation with new ties, intelligent switches and enhanced communication for swift response. 
• Communication modernization: Building out a private cellular communication network for better coverage in the Panhandle’s rural communities and to remotely monitor, control and operate hundreds of devices on the system. This will make the system more secure against cyberattacks and other threats, reduce total customer minutes out and lower restoration costs for customers. 
• Grid flexibility: Enhancing the grid’s ability to adapt to changing conditions and maintain service during disruptions by using mobile transformers and switches to reroute power, minimizing outage impacts and enabling faster restoration. 
• Wildfire mitigation: Detecting, preventing and ensuring the grid can withstand and recover from wildfires. Measures include enhanced inspections, vegetation clearing, replacing structures, installing weather stations, using AI for predictive modeling, placing panoramic cameras, upgrading fire-resistant equipment, and improving emergency response plans. 

"Investing in the resilience of our energy grid is not just about preparing for the challenges of today, but also about ensuring a reliable and sustainable energy future for our communities,” said Adrian J. Rodriguez, president, Xcel Energy – New Mexico, Texas. “The System Resiliency Plan represents our commitment to proactive measures that will enhance the safety, reliability and efficiency of our services, benefiting every customer we serve.” 

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) will review and either approve, modify or deny the proposed plan within 180 days of its filing. The review will assess the plan's alignment with public interest, the presence of resiliency risks, the plan's effectiveness, and the evaluation of alternatives and estimated costs. The 3-year period covered by this plan will commence upon PUCT approval. 

Xcel Energy is committed to delivering an energy system that is weather-resilient, responsive and ready to serve the people of Texas today and for decades to come.