Grand Forks, North Dakota (Aug. 21, 2019) – Xcel Energy continues its leadership in the use of drone technology as it explores new ways to inspect its electric system infrastructure. As part of a pilot program, Xcel Energy will use drones to inspect its distribution lines in the Grand Forks area this week – the first flights for the company within a city.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a special waiver to allow Xcel Energy to perform this work and the drones will initially inspect Xcel Energy distribution lines along Gateway Drive and North Washington Street beginning Aug. 22, weather permitting. This work is part of the North Dakota Department of Transportation’s Integration Pilot Program, designed to permit safe integration of drones into national airspace.

“Our work on unmanned aircraft systems with our numerous partners demonstrates that collaboration benefits customers, the economy and the environment,” said Kent Larson, executive vice president and group president of operations for Xcel Energy. “This waiver is a significant step forward as we build on our industry-leading use of drones to improve the safety and reliability of the energy grid. North Dakota is a national pioneer in developing new ways to use drone technology, and we thank our partners for their collaboration and support.”

“Xcel Energy is committed to using drone technology in North Dakota and all the states we serve,” said Chris Clark, president, Xcel Energy-North Dakota. “Drones offer tremendous value to our company and our customers by allowing us to closely inspect our infrastructure to help improve reliability, enhance safety, and keep bills low.”

Inspecting distribution lines with drones allows crews to get better details on our energy systems without having to put workers in the air with a more expensive helicopter or bucket truck. Drones also minimize the impact on neighborhoods and the environment by avoiding the use of large trucks typically needed for these inspections.

Drone innovation and partnership

Over the last several years, Xcel Energy has committed to investing in and using drones, or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), to inspect its electric and natural gas systems. The company inspects more than 320,000 miles of electric and natural gas infrastructure to ensure the safety and reliability of its energy system. Xcel Energy’s commitment to drones also includes strategic partnerships with North Dakota’s Northern Plains UAS Test Site, the North Dakota Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and private sector companies.

Xcel Energy was one of the first energy companies to secure approvals from the FAA to conduct

unmanned aircraft system missions and is breaking new ground in the use of the technology. With the FAA’s permission, Xcel Energy became the first U.S. utility company to fly drones beyond the line of sight during a transmission line inspection in Denver last year. Through this partnership the company now has approval to perform these types of flights in all the states we serve.

In addition to using drones to inspect important infrastructure, Xcel Energy has also worked to test and demonstrate how drones could be used following a disaster, reducing the time for emergency and utility crews to respond and restore power. In North Dakota, Xcel Energy has worked closely with the Northern Plain UAS Test Site as a partner in researching possible solutions for such disasters.

For more information about Xcel Energy’s use of drones, visit https://www.xcelenergy.com/drones.

Xcel Energy serves more than 95,000 electric customers and nearly 60,000 natural gas customers in

North Dakota.

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About Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) provides the energy that powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company is an industry leader in responsibly reducing carbon emissions and producing and delivering clean energy solutions from a variety of renewable sources at competitive prices. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.