FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Work around the Utility Lines on Southbridge Parkway

Spring 2005 - Undoubtedly, many of you have spotted the orange “Road Work” signs along Southbridge Parkway and seen, or even heard, the digging around the utility lines along the south side of the street. Xcel Energy is adding two combustion turbines, fired by clean-burning natural gas, to the Blue Lake peaking plant located directly across Highway 169 from our neighborhood. Xcel Energy expects that adding these new turbines will increase the capacity of the plant by 160 megawatts. Currently, Blue Lake runs four combustion turbines with a summer capacity of 225 megawatts. Since the greatest demand for electricity is during the summer season, increasing the capacity for the peaking plant before it warms up will help meet future demand.

To prepare for these additions, Xcel is upgrading the transmission lines leading to Blue Lake. The work in our neighborhood is to upgrade the line carrying structures. Steal pole structures will replace the towers, and new lines will be installed to the east towards the Black Dog plant, and north to the Blue Lake plant. Xcel has scheduled the work to be completed by June 1^st, 2005, and expects the new turbines to be installed this summer.

For more information on the Blue Lake peaking plant project, please visit

www.xcelenergy.com > About Energy & Rates > Blue Lake Proposal.