Xcel Energy Powers Communities with Over $14M in 2025 Giving

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – December 29, 2025 – As 2025 draws to a close, Xcel Energy has announced a significant investment in the communities it serves, contributing over $14 million and nearly 60,000 volunteer hours to charitable causes across its eight-state territory. The preliminary figures, which showcase a continued upward trend in the company's philanthropic efforts, underscore a corporate strategy that increasingly intertwines energy provision with deep-rooted community partnership and sustainable development.

The initiative, driven by the combined efforts of the company's employees, contractors, retirees, and the Xcel Energy Foundation, goes far beyond simple check-writing. It represents a hands-on commitment to addressing local needs, from hunger relief to environmental conservation, while strategically aligning with the utility's long-term business goals, including its ambitious clean energy transition.

From Meals to Microgrids: Tangible Local Impact

While the multi-million-dollar figure is impressive, the true impact of Xcel Energy's giving is most visible at the local level. The company’s 2025 Day of Service alone mobilized 2,900 volunteers who dedicated nearly 8,900 hours to 99 different nonprofit projects. These efforts produced tangible results, including the packing of 81,600 meals to combat food insecurity and the assembly of 6,600 educational kits to support students and teachers.

The Xcel Energy Foundation, which is primarily funded by shareholder dollars, serves as the financial engine for much of this work. In 2025, it invested nearly $5 million in grants to 400 nonprofit organizations. This funding is not arbitrary; it is targeted at three key focus areas: STEM career pathways, community vitality, and environmental sustainability.

Examples of this targeted support are widespread. In New Mexico, a $10,000 grant to the Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico helped bolster hunger relief efforts in rural counties. In Minnesota, a $5,000 grant to Clean River Partners is helping farmers in the Cannon River watershed adopt conservation practices to protect local water sources.

Perhaps one of the most forward-looking initiatives is the "Resilient Minneapolis Project." In partnership with the city, Xcel Energy is developing solar and battery microgrids at key community centers in disadvantaged neighborhoods. This project enhances energy resilience during outages and directly supports equity and environmental justice goals, demonstrating a sophisticated approach to community investment that provides lasting infrastructure benefits.

The Human Element: A Culture of Volunteerism

Behind the financial contributions is a powerful story of human capital. The nearly 60,000 hours volunteered by Xcel Energy personnel represent a significant force for good and point to a deeply embedded corporate culture of service. This engagement is actively encouraged through programs like Volunteer Paid Time Off (PTO), which allows employees to support causes they care about during the workday.

The company’s annual “Power Your Purpose” giving campaign further illustrates this employee-driven ethos. In 2025, the campaign raised nearly $2.7 million for 1,200 different organizations, a notable increase from the $2.4 million raised in 2024. This initiative empowers employees to direct funds toward the nonprofits that matter most to them, creating a personal connection to the company's broader philanthropic mission.

Furthermore, the “Employee Choice Grants” program allows staff to nominate and vote for organizations to receive foundation funding, ensuring that corporate giving reflects the passions of its workforce. This level of employee engagement is a key differentiator. While Xcel Energy’s overall financial giving is substantial, its volunteer metrics are highly competitive with peer utilities, indicating an exceptionally active and motivated workforce dedicated to community service.

Strategic Giving for a Sustainable Future

Xcel Energy’s philanthropic activities are not siloed from its core business; they are a strategic component of its long-term vision. The company's focus on environmental sustainability, for instance, directly complements its industry-leading goal to deliver 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050. Grants that support habitat restoration and conservation education reinforce the same environmental stewardship that drives massive infrastructure investments like the Sherco Solar project, which is set to become one of the largest solar facilities in the nation.

Similarly, the heavy investment in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) career pathways is a direct investment in the future workforce. By supporting K-12 programs and post-secondary training, the company is helping to cultivate the skilled talent necessary to innovate and lead the clean energy transition. Past efforts have reached hundreds of thousands of students, with a particular focus on creating inclusive opportunities for young women and underrepresented groups.

This strategic alignment of philanthropy and business has earned the company external recognition, including being named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere and one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies. These accolades reflect a broader understanding that modern corporate responsibility involves creating value for shareholders and society simultaneously.

The preliminary 2025 figures, which show a steady increase from over $11 million in 2023 and over $12 million in 2024, indicate a sustained and growing commitment. As the company works to tabulate its final numbers for the year, to be released in its 2025 Annual Report this spring, the current data already paints a clear picture of a utility working to power not just homes and businesses, but the well-being and vitality of the communities it calls home.