News Releases

Xcel Energy Foundation awards $705,000 in grants

Environmental and educational organizations are recipients

MINNEAPOLIS - The Xcel Energy Foundation has announced $705,000 in grants for non-profit environmental and educational organizations in Minnesota.

“The investments we are making with these grants will help prepare the next generation of our community to manage environmental issues,” said David Sparby, acting president and CEO of NSP Minnesota, an Xcel Energy company. “The challenges of the future are not likely to be solved with the same technology and regulations available to us today.”

The Xcel Energy Foundation supports math, science and economic education programs for students from kindergarten through grade 16. Current grants to education total $582,500 and include:
· Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest received a $30,000 grant in operating support. Junior Achievement delivers K-12 programs that address financial literacy, workforce preparedness and stay-in-school initiatives.
· The Minnesota Private College Fund received an $80,000 grant to award Xcel Energy Foundation Scholarships. The scholarships are part of a new category called S.T.E.M. and are directed to students majoring in mathematics, science, engineering or the environment.
· Minneapolis Community and Technical College Foundation, Inc. received a $30,000 grant to fund the Power of YOU program. The 5-year initiative is designed to increase the postsecondary participation and the graduation rates of students from urban and core high schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The Xcel Energy Foundation supports projects and partnerships that result in environmental improvements.

 Grants in the environmental category total $122,500 and include:
 
· Great River Greening received a $25,000 grant for its Million Acorn Campaign. The program replaces oak savannas on the Minnesota landscape.

· Saint John’s Arboretum in Collegeville, Minn., received $15,000 to train teachers about energy and conservation issues and develop energy-related materials for the St. Cloud, Minn. school district.

· The Green Institute in Minneapolis received a $15,000 grant to promote the recycling of building materials that would otherwise go to landfills.

These Foundation grants represent the first in a series of three cycles for 2007. In 2006, Xcel Energy awarded a total of $1,288,650 to educational programs and organizations and $467,300 to environmental organizations across our service territories. The Foundation also awards grants in the areas of community development and arts/culture.

For more information visit www.xcelenergy.com and click on Community and Foundation.