NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's) July 3, 2003--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today that its 'BBB' long-term corporate credit rating on Xcel Energy Inc. and its long-term corporate credit ratings on its utility subsidiaries remain on CreditWatch with positive implications. The short-term corporate credit and commercial paper ratings on the companies are not on CreditWatch. The CreditWatch listing for the long-term corporate credit rating on Xcel reflects the expectation that the rating may be raised subsequent to the bankruptcy proceedings of subsidiary NRG Energy Inc. "If Xcel's financial burden is limited to the $752 million agreed to by the majority of NRG's creditors in a prefiling settlement, the cash will come primarily from tax benefits and refunds related to
