AMARILLO, Texas (July 30, 2026) — About 100 Xcel Energy line workers from Texas, New Mexico and Colorado competed in the 33rd Lone Star Lineman’s Rodeo in Amarillo, putting their technical skills, focus and teamwork on display. The annual event highlights the work line crews perform every day to maintain critical infrastructure, restore service and keep reliable power flowing to customers.

More than 700 employees and family members attended this year’s rodeo, cheering on teams and individual competitors as they completed hands-on challenges based on the work line crews do in the field. Four teams and four individual competitors from Texas and New Mexico will go on to represent Southwestern Public Service Company, a subsidiary of Xcel Energy, at the International Lineman’s Rodeo in Kansas City this fall.

“This is always a great day for our crews and their families,” said Brad Baldridge, interim president, Xcel Energy – Texas, New Mexico. “The rodeo gives our line workers a chance to challenge themselves, learn from one another and take pride in the work they do for our customers and communities. It is also a reminder of the dedication and care they bring to the job, no matter what conditions they’re facing.”

Journeyman Team Standings:

*1st Place: O.J. Zapata – Littlefield Service Center (SC), Sterling Justus & Sean Williams – Lubbock SC

Rodeo 1st place team - Zapata, Justus, Williams

2nd Place: Mark Edwards, Heath Hammond, Chris Carrillo – Boulder SC, CO

Rodeo 2nd place team - Edwards, Hammond, Carrillo

*3rd Place: Guillermo Ramirez – Seminole SC, Stephen Byrd – Plainview SC, Eric Paredez – Levelland SC

Rodeo 3rd place team - Ramirez, Byrd, paredez

*4th Place: Sebastian Van Slyke – Amarillo SW Service Center, Israel Gonzales & Adam Kingsley – Amarillo NE SC

*5th Place: Christopher Bonham, Dillon Licon, James Doncaster – Roswell SC

2026 Top 10 Apprentice Standings:

  1. Zachary Nicholas – Boulder Service Center, CO

  1. Derek Peiffer – Arvada SC, CO

  1. *Kaleb Donais – Amarillo Technical Center

  1. *Austin Taylor – Seminole SC

  1. *Korey Moczygemba – Seminole SC

  1. *Greg Adame – Plainview SC

  1. Bradley Reed – Lubbock SC

  1. Jayson Van Meter – Mesa County Operations Center, CO

  1. Jaydon Nguyen – Amarillo SW SC

  1. Caleb Lusk – Lubbock SC

*Indicates competitors or teams which will represent Southwestern Public Service Company in the International Lineman’s Rodeo in Kansas City.

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About Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) is a leading energy provider, dedicated to serving millions of customers with excellence. We make energy work better for customers, helping them thrive every day. That means always raising the bar — delivering better service and providing more reliable, resilient and sustainable energy.

We are committed to leading the clean energy transition, meeting our customers’ need for more, cleaner power, while keeping bills as low as possible. Because the people we serve depend on us to power their lives.

Headquartered in Minneapolis, we work every day to generate and distribute electricity and gas to customers across eight states: Minnesota, Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on X and Facebook.