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Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Estimated Minimum Purchases Under Fuel Contracts
The estimated minimum purchases for Xcel Energy under these contracts as of Dec. 31, 2016 are as follows:
(Millions of Dollars)
 
Coal
 
Nuclear fuel
 
Natural gas supply
 
Natural gas
storage and
transportation
2017
 
$
707.6

 
$
113.2

 
$
395.6

 
$
252.0

2018
 
372.0

 
60.8

 
187.4

 
195.4

2019
 
102.7

 
111.1

 
181.4

 
155.1

2020
 
49.3

 
37.7

 
186.1

 
141.4

2021
 
50.4

 
90.2

 
193.3

 
132.9

Thereafter
 
295.1

 
449.5

 
172.0

 
1,108.8

Total
 
$
1,577.1

 
$
862.5

 
$
1,315.8

 
$
1,985.6
Estimated Future Payments for Capacity and Energy Pursuant to Purchased Power Agreements
At Dec. 31, 2016, the estimated future payments for capacity and energy that the utility subsidiaries of Xcel Energy are obligated to purchase pursuant to these executory contracts, subject to availability, are as follows:
(Millions of Dollars)
 
Capacity
 
Energy (a)
2017
 
$
165.8

 
$
91.8

2018
 
130.2

 
93.2

2019
 
85.0

 
98.7

2020
 
69.4

 
105.4

2021
 
79.4

 
139.8

Thereafter
 
300.3

 
522.7

Total
 
$
830.1

 
$
1,051.6

(a) 
Excludes contingent energy payments for renewable energy PPAs.
Summary of Property Held Under Capital Leases
Total amortization expenses under capital lease assets were approximately $8.1 million, $8.2 million and $7.2 million for 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Following is a summary of property held under capital leases:
(Millions of Dollars)
 
Dec. 31, 2016
 
Dec. 31, 2015
Gas storage facilities
 
$
200.5

 
$
200.5

Gas pipeline
 
20.7

 
20.7

Property held under capital leases
 
221.2

 
221.2

Accumulated depreciation
 
(65.3
)
 
(57.2
)
Total property held under capital leases, net
 
$
155.9

 
$
164.0
Future Commitments Under Operating and Capital Leases
Future commitments under operating and capital leases are:
(Millions of Dollars)
 
Operating
Leases
 
        PPA (a) (b)
Operating
Leases
 
Total
Operating
Leases
 
Capital Leases
 
2017
 
$
25.2

 
$
212.3

 
$
237.5

 
$
15.1

 
2018
 
25.2

 
212.8

 
238.0

 
14.7

 
2019
 
29.7

 
230.6

 
260.3

 
14.5

 
2020
 
24.4

 
244.2

 
268.6

 
14.3

 
2021
 
23.5

 
246.6

 
270.1

 
13.7

 
Thereafter
 
170.1

 
1,919.4

 
2,089.5

 
245.0

 
Total minimum obligation
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
317.3

 
Interest component of obligation
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(224.9
)
 
Present value of minimum obligation
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$
92.4

(c) 
(a) 
Amounts do not include PPAs accounted for as executory contracts.
(b) 
PPA operating leases contractually expire through 2039.
(c) 
Future commitments exclude certain amounts related to Xcel Energy’s 50 percent ownership interest in WYCO.
Eloigne and NSP-Wisconsin Low-income Housing Limited Partnerships
Amounts reflected in Xcel Energy’s consolidated balance sheets for the Eloigne and NSP-Wisconsin low-income housing limited partnerships include the following:
(Thousands of Dollars)
 
Dec. 31, 2016
 
Dec. 31, 2015
Current assets
 
$
7,102

 
$
6,274

Property, plant and equipment, net
 
49,638

 
51,480

Other noncurrent assets (a)
 
918

 
977

Total assets
 
$
57,658

 
$
58,731

 
 
 
 
 
Current liabilities
 
$
7,769

 
$
7,540

Mortgages and other long-term debt payable (a)
 
30,343

 
30,665

Other noncurrent liabilities
 
658

 
644

Total liabilities
 
$
38,770

 
$
38,849
Committed Minimum Payments Under Technology Agreements
Committed minimum payments under these obligations are as follows:
(Millions of Dollars)
 
IBM
Agreement
 
Accenture
Agreement
2017
 
$
31.6

 
$
10.0

2018
 
30.6

 
10.5

2019
 
30.5

 
10.7

2020
 
—

 
11.0

2021
 
—

 
—

Thereafter
 
—

 
—
Guarantees and Bond Indemnities Issued and Outstanding
The following table presents guarantees and bond indemnities issued and outstanding as of Dec. 31, 2016:
(Millions of Dollars)
 
Guarantor
 
Guarantee
Amount
 
Current
Exposure
 
Triggering
Event
Guarantee of customer loans for the Farm Rewiring Program (a)
 
NSP-Wisconsin
 
$
1.0

 
$
0.1

 
(e) 
Guarantee of the indemnification obligations of Xcel Energy Services Inc. under the aircraft leases (b)
 
Xcel Energy Inc.
 
13.0

 
—

 
(f) 
Guarantee of residual value of assets under the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Capital Corporation Equipment Leasing Agreement (c)
 
NSP-Minnesota
 
4.8

 
—

 
(g) 
Total guarantees issued
 
 
 
$
18.8

 
$
0.1

 
 
Guarantee performance and payment of surety bonds for Xcel Energy Inc.’s utility subsidiaries (d)
 
Xcel Energy Inc.
 
$
43.0

 
(i) 
 
(h) 
(a) 
The term of this guarantee expires in 2020, which is the final scheduled repayment date for the loans. As of Dec. 31, 2016, no claims had been made by the lender.
(b) 
The terms of this guarantee expires in 2021 and 2023 when the associated leases expire.
(c) 
The term of this guarantee expires in 2019 when the associated lease expires.
(d) 
The surety bonds primarily relate to workers compensation benefits and utility projects. The workers compensation bonds are renewed annually and the project based bonds expire in conjunction with the completion of the related projects.
(e) 
The debtor becomes the subject of bankruptcy or other insolvency proceedings.
(f) 
Nonperformance and/or nonpayment.
(g) 
Actual fair value of leased assets is less than the guaranteed residual value amount at the end of the lease term.
(h) 
Failure of any one of Xcel Energy Inc.’s utility subsidiaries to perform under the agreement that is the subject of the relevant bond. In addition, per the indemnity agreement between Xcel Energy Inc. and the various surety companies, the surety companies have the discretion to demand that collateral be posted.
(i) 
Due to the magnitude of projects associated with the surety bonds, the total current exposure of this indemnification cannot be determined. Xcel Energy Inc. believes the exposure to be significantly less than the total amount of the outstanding bonds.
Asset Retirement Obligations
A reconciliation of Xcel Energy’s AROs for the years ended Dec. 31, 2016 and 2015 is as follows:
(Thousands of Dollars)
 
Beginning
Balance
Jan. 1, 2016
 
Liabilities
Recognized
 
Liabilities
Settled
 
Accretion
 
Cash Flow Revisions (b)
 
Ending
Balance
Dec. 31, 2016
Electric plant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nuclear production decommissioning
 
$
2,141,024

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
108,298

 
$
—

 
$
2,249,322

Steam and other production ash containment
 
131,587

 
—

 
(6,271
)
 
4,913

 
(13,843
)
 
116,386

Steam and other production asbestos
 
84,491

 
—

 
—

 
4,054

 
(103
)
 
88,442

Wind production
 
71,646

 
17,305

(a) 
—

 
3,166

 
61

 
92,178

Electric distribution
 
13,187

 
—

 
—

 
485

 
6,451

 
20,123

Other
 
4,543

 
645

 
(29
)
 
176

 
(451
)
 
4,884

Natural gas plant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gas transmission and distribution
 
155,933

 
—

 
—

 
6,368

 
42,483

 
204,784

Other
 
3,966

 
185

 
—

 
158

 
—

 
4,309

Common and other property
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Common general plant asbestos
 
551

 
—

 
—

 
28

 
—

 
579

Common miscellaneous
 
1,634

 
—

 
—

 
57

 
(469
)
 
1,222

Total liability
 
$
2,608,562

 
$
18,135

 
$
(6,300
)
 
$
127,703

 
$
34,129

 
$
2,782,229

(a) 
The liability recognized relates to the NSP-Minnesota Courtenay Wind Farm which was placed in service during 2016.
(b) 
In 2016, AROs were revised for changes in estimated cash flows and the timing of those cash flows. Changes in the gas transmission and distribution AROs were mainly related to increased miles of gas mains.
The aggregate fair value of NSP-Minnesota’s legally restricted assets, for purposes of funding future nuclear decommissioning, was $1.9 billion as of Dec. 31, 2016, consisting of external investment funds.

(Thousands of Dollars)
 
Beginning
Balance
Jan. 1, 2015
 
Liabilities
Recognized
 
Liabilities
Settled
 
Accretion
 
Cash Flow Revisions (a)
 
Ending
Balance
Dec. 31, 2015 (b)
Electric plant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nuclear production decommissioning
 
$
2,037,947

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
103,077

 
$
—

 
$
2,141,024

Steam and other production ash containment
 
127,600

 
—

 
—

 
4,746

 
(759
)
 
131,587

Steam and other production asbestos
 
69,698

 
3,875

 
—

 
3,670

 
7,248

 
84,491

Wind production
 
38,260

 
31,085

(a) 
—

 
1,778

 
523

 
71,646

Electric distribution
 
12,593

 
—

 
—

 
463

 
131

 
13,187

Other
 
4,605

 
127

 
(273
)
 
178

 
(94
)
 
4,543

Natural gas plant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gas transmission and distribution
 
149,964

 
—

 
—

 
5,969

 
—

 
155,933

Other
 
3,925

 
—

 
—

 
155

 
(114
)
 
3,966

Common and other property
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Common general plant asbestos
 
505

 
—

 
—

 
27

 
19

 
551

Common miscellaneous
 
1,534

 
—

 
—

 
56

 
44

 
1,634

Total liability
 
$
2,446,631

 
$
35,087

 
$
(273
)
 
$
120,119

 
$
6,998

 
$
2,608,562


(a) 
The liability recognized relates to the NSP-Minnesota Pleasant Valley and Border Wind Farms which were placed in service during 2015.
(b) 
In 2015, AROs were revised for changes in estimated cash flows and the timing of those cash flows. Changes in the asbestos AROs were mainly related to updated cost estimates.
Plant Removal Costs
The accumulated balances by entity were as follows at Dec. 31:
(Millions of Dollars)
 
2016
 
2015
NSP-Minnesota
 
$
419

 
$
430

PSCo
 
367

 
364

SPS
 
209

 
204

NSP-Wisconsin
 
140

 
132

Total Xcel Energy
 
$
1,135

 
$
1,130