NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's CreditWire) Sept. 28, 2000--Standard&Poor's today assigned its preliminary rating of triple-'B'-plus to XCEL Energy Inc.'s $1 billion shelf registration. The debt securities, to be issued from time to time pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, will be unsecured obligations of XCEL Energy. The outlook is stable. XCEL Energy's long-term corporate credit rating is single-'A'-minus. The long-term corporate credit ratings of XCEL Energy's operating subsidiaries, Northern States Power Co., Public Service Co. of Colorado, and Southwestern Public Service Co. are also single-'A'-minus. The long-term corporate credit rating of subsidiary Northern States Power Wisconsinis single-'A' because the utility's financial strength is protected by pro-active regulatory oversight. The preliminary rating assigned to
