Borrowings and Other Financing Instruments

Short-Term Borrowings

Money Pool — Xcel Energy Inc. and its utility subsidiaries have established a money pool arrangement that allows for short-term investments in and borrowings between the utility subsidiaries. NSP-Wisconsin does not participate in the money pool. Xcel Energy Inc. may make investments in the utility subsidiaries at market-based interest rates; however, the money pool arrangement does not allow the utility subsidiaries to make investments in Xcel Energy Inc. The money pool balances are eliminated in consolidation.

Short-Term Debt — Xcel Energy Inc. and its utility subsidiaries meet their short-term liquidity requirements primarily through the issuance of commercial paper and borrowings under their credit facilities and term loan agreements. Commercial paper and term loan borrowings outstanding for Xcel Energy were as follows:



(Amounts in Millions, Except Interest Rates)	Three Months Ended March 31, 2018			Year Ended Dec. 31, 2017
Borrowing limit	$	3,250		$	3,250
Amount outstanding at period end	1,025			814
Average amount outstanding	1,000			644
Maximum amount outstanding	1,197			1,247
Weighted average interest rate, computed on a daily basis	1.93		%	1.35		%
Weighted average interest rate at period end	2.34			1.90

Letters of Credit — Xcel Energy Inc. and its subsidiaries use letters of credit, generally with terms of one year, to provide financial guarantees for certain operating obligations. At March 31, 2018 and Dec. 31, 2017, there were $31 million and $30 million, respectively, of letters of credit outstanding under the credit facilities. The contract amounts of these letters of credit approximate their fair value and are subject to fees.

Credit Facilities — In order to use their commercial paper programs to fulfill short-term funding needs, Xcel Energy Inc. and its utility subsidiaries must have revolving credit facilities in place at least equal to the amount of their respective commercial paper borrowing limits and cannot issue commercial paper in an aggregate amount exceeding available capacity under these credit facilities. The lines of credit provide short-term financing in the form of notes payable to banks, letters of credit and back-up support for commercial paper borrowings.

As of March 31, 2018, Xcel Energy Inc. and its utility subsidiaries had the following committed credit facilities available:



(Millions of Dollars)	Credit Facility ^(a)		Drawn ^(b)		Available
Xcel Energy Inc.	$	1,500	$	898	$	602
PSCo	700		99		601
NSP-Minnesota	500		25		475
SPS	400		12		388
NSP-Wisconsin	150		22		128
Total	$	3,250	$	1,056	$	2,194


^(a)	These credit facilities expire in June 2021, with the exception of Xcel Energy Inc.’s $500 million 364-day term loan agreement entered into in December 2017.


^(b)	Includes outstanding commercial paper, term loan borrowings and letters of credit.

All credit facility bank borrowings, outstanding letters of credit, term loan borrowings and outstanding commercial paper reduce the available capacity under the respective credit facilities. Xcel Energy Inc. and its subsidiaries had no direct advances on the credit facilities outstanding as of March 31, 2018 and Dec. 31, 2017.