Xcel Energy Calls on Minnesota Customers to Reduce Electricity Use During Wednesday Evening Energy Action Day

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (July 15, 2026) Xcel Energy is asking participating Minnesota customers to reduce their electricity consumption Wednesday evening as the utility conducts an Energy Action Day during a period of elevated demand.

The voluntary conservation period will run from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 15.

Customers can participate by turning off unnecessary lights, unplugging electronics and postponing the use of large appliances until after the four-hour conservation window. Washing machines, clothes dryers and dishwashers are among the appliances that customers may choose to operate later in the evening.

Energy Action Days encourage households to temporarily reduce electricity use when demand on the power system is high. Even modest reductions across thousands of homes can help lower the amount of electricity required during peak hours.

Customers Receive Personalized Energy Reports

Xcel Energy is also providing participating customers with information about how their households performed during previous Energy Action Days.

In an automated message delivered Wednesday, the utility told one customer that the household ranked 58th in energy efficiency among approximately 100 similarly sized homes during the Energy Action Day held Tuesday, July 14.

The comparison gives customers a general indication of how their electricity consumption measures against homes of a similar size. It also encourages households to identify additional opportunities to conserve energy during future events.

Participation Remains Voluntary

Customers are not required to completely stop using electricity during an Energy Action Day. Instead, Xcel Energy is encouraging residents to avoid unnecessary consumption and move flexible household activities outside the designated peak-demand period.

Residents can prepare by charging essential devices before 4 p.m., switching off electronics that are not being used and waiting until after 8 p.m. to operate energy-intensive appliances when possible.

Xcel Energy said participating customers would continue receiving notifications before and after Energy Action Days. Those communications alert households when a conservation period is approaching and provide feedback about their energy performance after the event.

Wednesday’s Energy Action Day is scheduled to conclude at 8 p.m.

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