Xcel Energy Hits Carbon Reduction Milestone, Reduces Water Consumption and Promotes Electric Vehicles

About this update from Xcel Energy Inc.

[{"type":"text","content":"\nCompany’s clean energy leadership on display in new report\n\n MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nXcel Energy announced today that the company delivered for customers, achieved key carbon reduction goals, supported its communities and kept customer bills low despite challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic downturn and civil unrest in the states it serves.\nThis press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210607005517/en/\nThe company released its 16th annual Sustainability Report, formerly known as the Corporate Responsibility Report. The name change reflects the company’s commitment to delivering reliable, affordable natural gas and electricity, while protecting the environment and helping build the clean energy future.\n\n“If we learned anything in the last year, it is how resilient we are as a company and an industry,” said Ben Fowke, chairman and CEO of Xcel Energy. “We’ve all faced great challenges, but our dedicated employees continued to deliver exceptional service to our customers, while taking action on key priorities that will benefit our communities, customers and the environment.”\n\nXcel Energy is the first major U.S. power provider to announce a vision of delivering 100% carbon-free electricity to its customers by 2050, with an interim goal of cutting carbon emissions 80% by 2030. And it’s more than halfway there, having reduced carbon emissions 51% from the electricity it provides to customers. The company has also proposed plans to exit coal responsibly by 2040.\n\nClean energy leadership \n\nIn addition to achieving a 51% carbon reduction from the electricity provided to customers since 2005, Xcel Energy completed approximately 1,500 megawatts of company-owned wind projects in 2020 that are expected to save customers hundreds of millions of dollars in fuel costs, while adding more carbon-free energy to its system.\n\nIn addition, the company reported progress on the following goals:\n\n\nA goal to reduce water consumption from the electricity it provides customers 70% by 2030 (from 2005 levels). Since 2005 the company has reduced water consumption by 34%.\n\n\nA vision to power 1.5 million electric vehicles (EVs) in the communities it serves by 2030, which is equal to about 20% of all vehicles on the road—30 times more than we see no...

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