Principal Attorney

Xcel Energy Inc; Minneapolis, Northern (MN, KY); Hybrid; USD 148,000 - 211,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Incentive Program

Medical & Dental Plan

401(k) with company match

Pension

Job summary

Xcel Energy is seeking a senior corporate attorney to contribute on the Commercial Projects legal team. You will provide strategic legal counsel on renewables, service agreements, and complex transactions across cross-functional groups.

Ideal candidates have a JD and 6–10 years in corporate law, with licensure in Minnesota or Colorado. Hybrid work model with on-site requirements and broad interstate relevance.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate degree from ABA-accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law or eligible for reciprocity within a reasonable timeframe.
• 6–10 years of corporate law experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and counsel on complex legal, business, and strategic matters.
• Serve as transactional counsel for renewable energy and power agreements.
• Support development transfer and build-transfer agreements and related contracts.
• Draft and negotiate renewable energy and large-load project agreements.
• Partner across the enterprise to execute transactions aligned with company strategy.
• Identify and communicate legal, regulatory, and commercial risks.

Skills

Corporate law

Education

Juris Doctorate (ABA accredited)

Job description

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) is a leading energy provider and Fortune 500 company, dedicated to serving millions of electricity and natural gas customers across eight states: Minnesota, Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico and Texas. We make energy work better for our customers, helping them thrive every day. That means always raising the bar—delivering better service and providing more reliable, resilient, and sustainable energy. Xcel Energy is a place where you’ll have opportunities to grow, expand your skills, and help lead the clean energy transition. We offer meaningful rewards, recognition, and support to help you build your career and make an impact—both on the job and beyond. Most importantly, it means you’ll be joining a company that knows employees are the driving force behind its success and is committed to helping you be your best.

Xcel Energy supports a hybrid work model to enable collaboration and flexibility. Many roles are expected to work onsite three days per week (Tuesday–Thursday); however, work location expectations vary based on role, team, and business needs.

Position Summary

This role is for a position on the Xcel Energy Commercial Projects legal team, which supports the Xcel Energy Corporate Development and Large Load/Data Center teams. This position focuses on renewal energy projects, electric service agreements, power purchase agreements, emerging technology initiatives, and works cross-functionally to structure, negotiate, and execute complex transactions. The role also provides legal counsel to Xcel Energy and its subsidiaries and manages outside counsel.

Essential Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and counsel to Xcel Energy management on complex legal, business, and strategic matters.
• Serve as transactional counsel, supporting Xcel Energy Corporate Development and Large Load/Data Center teams, advising on strategic renewable energy and emerging technology transactions, electric service agreements, power purchase agreements, and general transactional matters.
• Provide legal support for renewable energy and large load/data center projects, including, but not limited to, development transfer agreements, build-transfer agreements, electric service agreements, and power purchase agreements.
• Draft and negotiate transactional documents related to renewable energy and large load/data center projects, electric service agreements, power purchase agreements, emerging technology, and other general transactional matters.
• Partner cross-functionally across the enterprise to execute transactions aligned with company strategy.
• Identify, assess, and communicate legal, regulatory, and commercial risks and provide general transactional and M&A legal support to Xcel Energy and its subsidiaries.

Minimum Requirements

• Juris Doctorate degree from ABA accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice, or able to be licensed to practice on reciprocity within a reasonable timeframe of accepting the position, where the position is located.
• 6-10 years of practice in corporate law department, law firm, government practice or equivalent legal experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Utility M&A and/or large load/data center projects transactional experience
• Excellent Verbal & Written Communication Skills
• Licensed to practice law in Minnesota or Colorado

Our culture is grounded in shared values and employee commitments that guide how we work, support one another, and grow together.

Our Values

Connected, Committed, Trustworthy, Safe

Our Employee Commitments

• Work that makes a difference
• A team you can count of
• Opportunities to grow
• Rewards that help you thrive

Xcel Energy provides jobapplicantsreasonable accommodations for disabilitiesthroughout the application process. If youare in need ofanaccommodationto complete the application process, now or at any time in the future, please complete the Applicant Accommodation RequestForm.

Non-Bargaining

The anticipated starting base pay for this position is: $148,400.00 to $210,733.00 per year

This position is eligible for the following benefits: Annual Incentive Program, Long Term Incentive, Medical/Pharmacy Plan, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Dependent Care Reimbursement Account, Health Care Reimbursement Account, Health Savings Account (HSA) (if enrolled in eligible health plan), Limited-Purpose FSA (if enrolled in eligible health plan and HSA), Transportation Reimbursement Account, Short-term disability (STD), Long-term disability (LTD), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Fitness Center Reimbursement (if enrolled in eligible health plan), Tuition reimbursement, Transit programs, Employee recognition program, Pension, 401(k) plan, Paid time off (PTO), Holidays, Volunteer Paid Time Off (VPTO), Parental Leave

Benefit plans are subject to change and Xcel Energy has the right to end, suspend, or amend any of its plans, at any time, in whole or in part.

In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information including but not limited to dates of school attendance and graduation.You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Deadline to Apply: 10/04/26

EEO is the Law (PDF) | Equal Opportunity Statement (PDF) | Employee Rights (PDF)

All Xcel Energy employees and contractors share responsibility for protecting the company's information and systems by adhering to cybersecurity policies, standards, and best practices, recognizing that cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility.

Accessibility Statement

Xcel Energy endeavors to make https://www.xcelenergy.com and https://jobs.xcelenergy.com accessible to any and all users. If you are in need of an accommodation to complete the application process, now or at any time in the future, please complete the Applicant Accommodation Request Form. For any other application related questions, including application follow-ups or technical issues, please use our Recruiting Assistance, Electra, for assistance. Electra can be found in the lower right-hand corner of our Xcel Energy Careers site.