Site Requirements

Your assigned Xcel Energy representative will work with you to determine the size of equipment needed based off the load information provided. To better understand the sizing of our equipment and space requirements place reference Section 5 and Section 2.10 of the Xcel Energy Standards of Installation and Use Manual (PDF)

If your projects requires a Secondary Connection cabinet it is important to understand your responsibilities for installation as well as Xcel Energy's. Please reference Section CC of the Xcel Energy Standards of Installation and Use Manual (PDF)

To find out technical requirements required to install your meter please reference Section 3 and Section 4 of the Xcel Energy Standards of Installation and Use Manual (PDF). For more information about the process of getting a new meter, see our Construction & Inspection and Meter Installation page.

• The preferred depth of cover for natural gas mains where final grade is established shall be a minimum of 24".
• When final grade is not yet established, 36" of cover should be provided.
• If Natural Gas Mains are installed in a river or stream the depth of cover must have a minimum cover of 48" in soil or 24" in consolidated rock.

• The required depth of cover for natural gas services where final grade is established shall be 18" for buried services up to the property line and a minimum of 12" on the customer property.
• When final grade is not yet established a minimum of 24" shall be provided.

Excavations must be backfilled in a manner that provides firm support around and under the pipe to protect the pipe from damage. Backfilling shall be conducted so as to prevent damage to the pipe or pipe coating from equipment or from the backfill material. Backfilling will normally be done with the excavated soil, though the existing soil must meet the requirements within this section.

• Materials to avoid within the 6" of the pipe (bedding and shading) include but are not limited to refuse, road base, organic material, pea gravel, cobbles, boulders, large rocks, stones, and frozen soils.
  • Suggested materials include Class 1 fill passed through ½” screen, sand or similar materials that won't damage the pipe and that can be appropriately compacted.
  • Beyond the 6" zone, the final backfill shall be free of materials that might damage the pipe, such as large rocks (use 3" or larger as a guideline), pieces of pavement, asphalt or construction debris.
• If placing Flash-Fill or Flow-Fill in the trench, the pipe should be covered with a minimum of 12" of select backfill material. Flash-Fill and Flow-Fill must not contact the surface of the pipe.

• The gas pipe and electric line must be installed above or at the same level as the cables with adequate clearance to permit access to and maintenance of either facility without damage to the other and to allow for installation of gas or electric services without interference from the cables.
• When gas pipe and/or electric line is installed above or at the same level cables in the trench, or when gas pipe and cables cross each other, the vertical and horizontal clearance shall be a minimum of 12".
• All required vertical and horizontal separations apply even if the facility is in conduit.
• Cable clearances specified by a municipality or other governmental agency, which are more stringent than those listed in the National Electric Safety Code, must also be maintained.
• Take a look at our Joint Gas and Electric Trench Diagram (PDF) for additional detail.

Plastic conduits are pipes that can be installed during road construction to provide for the insertion of natural gas pipeline or electric lines at a later date to avoid disturbing the roadbed. Please see the installation requirements below as well as our clearance diagrams to ensure we can safely use the installed conduit. Work with your assigned Xcel Energy representatives to determine the amount and size of conduits needed for your specific project.

• Newly installed conduits should be either polyethylene (PE) or polyvinylchloride (PVC) pipe.
• For electric lines, it is preferred to use gray color conduit.
• For natural gas lines, it is preferred to use yellow or a neutral color conduit.
  • If conduit color is of another utility designated by the Common Ground Alliance color code of orange, blue, purple, green, or pink, it should not be used as gas or electric conduit.
• If providing conduit for Xcel Energy crossings or insertion of service, then the spacing between the provided conduits or other utilities in the area must be at least 12" to ensure proper clearance requirements. If 12" spacing is not provided, Xcel Energy will not be able to use the provided conduit.
• The conduit should have sufficient length, so the excavation required to expose the ends will not disturb the roadbed. When practical, the ends of the conduit should be a minimum of 5' from back of curb.
• Conduits should be sized to prevent freeze-offs and drainage should be provided at the lower points where water could accumulate in the conduit.
• Marker tape may be installed but is not required above the conduit for the entire conduit length. The separation requirement between the marker tape and the conduit should be 12".
• After installing the conduit, cover the ends to prevent dirt from entering the conduit during construction.