UTILITIES: Initiative aims to reinvent utility industry the Minnesota way

The pressures facing Xcel Energy Inc. are not uncommon among investor-owned electric utilities. More efficient use of energy is eroding demand. Customers want more options to manage their energy use and even generate a share of their own energy with solar arrays. Massive investments are required to maintain and improve the grid, and new environmental regulations require a continued shift to cleaner energy sources. But how the utility is facing that future, one that requires billions of dollars in capital investments at a time when sales are flat or declining, is relatively unique.