Xcel Energy breaks ground on new St. Paul Service Center

Xcel Energy has begun construction on a new service center that will position it to continue serving homes and businesses in St. Paul with safe and reliable energy. Located at The Heights, a multi-use development located on the site of the former Hillcrest Golf Course on the city’s East Side, the new service center will provide a larger, more modern space to fit the needs of crews and also improve safety. 

“We have outgrown our current service center on Rice Street, which has served our customers reliably for a century,” said Ryan Long, president of Xcel Energy–Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. “As part of our commitment to the St. Paul community, we are excited to build a larger, more modern facility that will help us continue to provide the level of service residents and businesses expect of us while also meeting our own future operational needs.” 

The upcoming 320,000-square-foot service center will be about twice the size of the company’s existing service center on Rice Street. In addition to providing the resources needed to meet customers’ needs, the facility will also modernize the employee experience and support our clean energy strategy. 

Xcel Energy uses its service centers to perform essential maintenance on electric and gas infrastructure and quickly respond to any issues that might arise, such as outages from storms. The new facility will serve as a home base for our field crews, dispatchers and design teams working on the company’s electrical and natural gas systems, as well as the vehicle fleets needed to maintain them. Service centers also house equipment, maintenance shops and office space. 

Xcel Energy collaborated with the St. Paul Port Authority throughout the process of locating and designing the service center, including in the sustainability features of the new facility. The Heights development aims to be one of the first net zero communities in the country, with a Platinum LEED for Communities certification. The service center will use energy-efficient construction and will operate on renewable energy provided by 1 megawatt of solar panels on its roof. It will also have 23 electric vehicle charging stations at the site to support the growing number of electric fleet vehicles. 

The 375 employees currently based at the Rice Street service center will move to the new facility once the site becomes operational in late 2026 or early 2027. The transition will not lead to any interruptions to electric or gas service for customers. 

Xcel Energy leaders volunteering for the Carter Work Project, from L to R: Marty Mensen, Ryan Long, John Marshall and Matt Boehlke

Habitat for Humanity at The Heights 

In addition to breaking ground on a new service center, Xcel Energy recently sponsored the nearby Habitat for Humanity Carter Work Project at The Heights. The project prioritizes community connectivity, affordable housing, and outdoor amenities to residents who live, work and visit the area. 

From September 29 to October 1, employee volunteers joined other Habitat for Humanitarians to help build 30 new homes as part of the redevelopment of the 112-acre former Hillcrest Golf Course.  

“Our commitment to energy goes hand in hand with our dedication to the communities we serve,” said Ryan Long. “By supporting initiatives like Habitat for Humanity, we are empowering our neighbors and strengthening a culture of collaboration and care within our teams.”   

Over the coming five years, Twin Cities Habitat will develop nearly 150 affordable homeownership opportunities on these four city blocks. The majority will be townhomes (twin homes, triplexes, and fourplexes), with some single-family homes. This will be the largest project in Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s history.