CARLSBAD, N.M., Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Xcel Energy today announced that it has extended its already successful Refrigerator Recycling Program into 2010. Residents now have until the end of the year to recycle old appliances and get a cash incentive. The Refrigerator Recycling Program offers residential electric customers a $35 rebate and a free pick up of their old, working refrigerators. Over 95% of the appliance is properly destroyed and recycled which prevents it from going into a landfill. The program started in May 2009 and is administered by Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. It will now run until December 31, 2010. "Our goal is to improve energy efficiency in our service territory and make it really easy for customers to get rid of their old appliances," says Kelsey Burich, Program Manager, Xcel Energy. "The cheapest energy out there is the energy we don't have to produce. Using less helps all of us lower our bills and put money back in our pockets." The $35 recycling incentive is automatically mailed to the customer within three to four weeks after pick up. For more information on Xcel Energy's Refrigerator Recycling Program, please visit ResponsibleByNature.com/fridge or call 866.552.8755. About Xcel Energy Xcel Energy (NYSE:XEL) is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company that provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and services to 3.4 million electricity customers and 1.9 million natural gas customers through its regulated operating companies in eight Western and Midwestern states. Company headquarters are located in Minneapolis. More information is available at xcelenergy.com. About ARCA ARCA (http://www.arcainc.com/), one of the nation's largest recyclers of major household appliances for the energy conservation programs of electric utilities, currently provides services for 150 utility programs in the U.S. and Canada. Toxic chemicals and environmentally harmful materials such as ozone-depleting refrigerants, PCBs, mercury and oil are carefully recovered in the appliance decommissioning process for destruction or disposal, preventing them from contaminating soil, air and water resources. DATASOURCE: Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. CONTACT: Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc., +1-952-930-9000, ; or , for Xcel Energy Web Site: http://www.xcelenergy.com/ http://www.arcainc.com/

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