Xcel says 75% feeder threshold guides distribution investments; commissioners seek transparency

Chair Eric Blank and commissioners pressed Xcel Energy (Public Service Company) staff on March 13 about the company’s distribution planning criteria and how forecast assumptions translate into near‑term capital spending.

The commission sought clarity on the company’s 75% “planning load” threshold for feeders — a design parameter the utility said it has used for years to identify when capital projects should be initiated so there is sufficient lead time for engineering, procurement and construction. Xcel’s distribution system planning manager, David Maino, said, “the 75% design criteria has been in place by the company for…some time now,” and described it as a trigger to identify projects, not an absolute operating limit.

The question matters because the company’s distribution plan relies on…