Share-Based Compensation (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Xcel Energy Inc. granted shares of restricted stock for the years ended Dec. 31 as follows:



(Shares in Thousands)	2015		2014		2013
Granted shares	42		46		33
Grant date fair value	$	35.00	$	29.69	$	28.30

A summary of the changes of nonvested restricted stock for the year ended 2015 were as follows:



(Shares in Thousands)	Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Nonvested restricted stock at Jan. 1, 2015	82		$	29.00
Granted	42		35.00
Forfeited	(9	)	28.24
Vested	(35	)	28.30
Dividend equivalents	3		35.19
Nonvested restricted stock at Dec. 31, 2015	83		32.62

Other Equity Awards

Equity award units granted to employees, excluding restricted stock and applicable 401(k) employer match settlements, for the years ended Dec. 31 were as follows:



(Units in Thousands)	2015		2014		2013
Granted units	496		588		774
Weighted average grant date fair value	$	36.09	$	29.90	$	27.65

Approximately 0.8 million of these units vested during 2015 at a total fair value of $27.1 million. Approximately 0.5 million of these units vested during 2014 at a total fair value of $19.6 million. Approximately 0.6 million of these units vested during 2013 at a total fair value of $16.8 million.

A summary of the changes in the nonvested portion of these equity award units for the year ended 2015, were as follows:



(Units in Thousands)	Units		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Nonvested Units at Jan. 1, 2015	1,322		$	28.63
Granted	496		36.09
Forfeited	(99	)	30.97
Vested	(756	)	27.67
Dividend equivalents	62		30.25
Nonvested Units at Dec. 31, 2015	1,025		32.81

Stock Equivalent Unit Plan

The stock equivalent units granted for the years ended Dec. 31 were as follows:



(Units in Thousands)	2015		2014		2013
Granted units	60		62		69
Grant date fair value	$	34.58	$	30.57	$	29.52

A summary of the stock equivalent unit changes for the year ended 2015 are as follows:



(Units in Thousands)	Units		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Stock equivalent units at Jan. 1, 2015	690		$	24.03
Granted	60		34.58
Units distributed	(29	)	20.71
Dividend equivalents	25		35.26
Stock equivalent units at Dec. 31, 2015	746		25.38

TSR Liability Awards

The TSR liability awards granted for the years ended Dec. 31 were as follows:



(In Thousands)	2015	2014	2013
Awards granted	224	270	215

The total amounts of TSR liability awards settled during the years ended Dec. 31 were as follows:



(In Thousands)	2015		2014		2013
Awards settled	—		—		108
Settlement amount (cash and common stock)	$	—	$	—	$	3,057

Compensation costs related to share-based awards

The compensation costs related to share-based awards for the years ended Dec. 31 were as follows:



(Thousands of Dollars)	2015		2014		2013
Compensation cost for share-based awards ^{(a) (b)}	$	44,928	$	32,189	$	24,613
Tax benefit recognized in income	17,570		12,557		9,571
Capitalized compensation cost for share-based awards ^(c)	—		1,887		1,698


^(a)	Compensation costs for share-based payment arrangements are included in O&M expense in the consolidated statements of income.

^(b)

Included in compensation cost for share-based awards are matching contributions related to the Xcel Energy 401(k) plan, which totaled $7.4 million, and $7.0 million for the years ended 2014 and 2013, respectively. In October 2013, Xcel Energy determined that it would settle the 401(k) employer match in cash instead of common stock going forward for all employee groups except PSCo bargaining employees. Share-based compensation accounting for the impacted employee groups ceased in October 2013, and corresponding expense amounts recorded to equity were reclassified to a liability for expected cash settlements. In August 2015, consistent with a new PSCo bargaining agreement, share-based compensation accounting ceased for the employer 401(k) match for PSCo bargaining employees, which will be paid in cash. As a result, 2015 compensation cost for share-based awards includes no 401(k) matching contributions.


^(c)	An allocated amount of the 401(k) match is capitalized.