Xcel Energy CEO announces retirement

The chief executive officer of Xcel Energy has announced he will be retiring after a career with the company that began as a summer meter reader.

Richard Kelly, 64, has been CEO at Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy since 2002. Kelly began at Xcel Energy as a meter reader one summer to help pay his tuition at Denver's Regis University, where he is a member of the Board of Trustees.

Kelly, a native of Denver, said he will retire in August. His legacy includes a pursuit toward a bigger renewable energy portfolio and turning Xcel into one of nation's largest providers of wind energy.

Members of the company's board said Kelly turned Xcel into a "true leader in the industry."

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Information from: The Denver Post

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