SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE CO (Form: 8-K, Received: 08/09/2017 10:03:01)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) August 9, 2017

Southwestern Public Service Company

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

New Mexico

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)



001-03789		75-0575400
(Commission File Number)		(IRS Employer Identification No.)

790 South Buchanan, Amarillo, Texas		79101
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code ( 303) 571-7511

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2).

Emerging growth company £

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. £


Item 8.01.	Other Events.

On August 9, 2017, Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS), a New Mexico corporation, issued $450.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 3.70% First Mortgage Bonds, Series No. 5 due 2047 (the Bonds) pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement among SPS and KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as underwriters named therein. The Bonds are being issued pursuant to the registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-203664-03) (the Registration Statement). A prospectus supplement relating to the offering and sale of the Bonds was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 3, 2017. The Bonds will be governed by the Indenture, dated as of August 1, 2011, by and between SPS and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, as supplemented by the Supplemental Indenture No. 5 dated as of August 1, 2017.

This Current Report on Form 8-K is being filed to report as exhibits certain documents in connection with that offering and sale for incorporation by reference into the Registration Statement.


Item 9.01.	Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.



Exhibit	Description
1.01	Underwriting Agreement dated August 2, 2017 among Southwestern Public Service Company and KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC.
4.01*	Indenture dated as of August 1, 2011 between Southwestern Public Service Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (incorporated by reference to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed by SPS on August 10, 2011, file no. 001-03789).
4.02	Supplemental Indenture dated as of August 1, 2017 between Southwestern Public Service Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee, creating 3.70% First Mortgage Bonds, Series No. 5 due 2047.
4.03	Form of 3.70% First Mortgage Bonds due 2047 (included in Exhibit 4.02).
5.01	Opinion of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP as to the legality of the securities.
5.02	Opinion of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP as to the legality of the securities.
5.03	Opinion of Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, P.C. as to the legality of the securities.
12.01	Statement of computation of ratio of earnings to fixed charges.
23.01	Consent of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP (included in Exhibit 5.01).
23.02	Consent of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP (included in Exhibit 5.02).
23.03	Consent of Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, P.C. (included in Exhibit 5.03).

*Incorporated by reference.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.



Southwestern Public Service Company (a New Mexico Corporation)

By:	/s/ BRIAN J. VAN ABEL
	Name:	Brian J. Van Abel
	Title:	Vice President and Treasurer

Date: August 9, 2017



Exhibit	Description
1.01	Underwriting Agreement dated August 2, 2017 among Southwestern Public Service Company and KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC.
4.01*	Indenture dated as of August 1, 2011 between Southwestern Public Service Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (incorporated by reference to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed by SPS on August 10, 2011, file no. 001-3789).
4.02	Supplemental Indenture dated as of August 1, 2017 between Southwestern Public Service Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee, creating 3.70% First Mortgage Bonds, Series No. 5 due 2047.
4.03	Form of 3.70% First Mortgage Bonds due 2047 (included in Exhibit 4.02).
5.01	Opinion of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP as to the legality of the securities.
5.02	Opinion of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP as to the legality of the securities.
5.03	Opinion of Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, P.C. as to the legality of the securities.
12.01	Statement of computation of ratio of earnings to fixed charges.
23.01	Consent of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP (included in Exhibit 5.01).
23.02	Consent of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP (included in Exhibit 5.02).
23.03	Consent of Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, P.C. (included in Exhibit 5.03).

*Incorporated by reference.

Exhibit 1.01

SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY
(a New Mexico corporation)

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

$450,000,000 3.70% First Mortgage Bonds, Series No. 5 due 2047

August 2, 2017

KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.

127 Public Square

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Mizuho Securities USA LLC

320 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10022

U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

214 North Tryon Street, 26 ^th Floor

EX-NC-WSTC

Charlotte, North Carolina 28202

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

550 South Tryon Street

Charlotte, North Carolina 28202

As Underwriters

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Southwestern Public Service Company, a New Mexico corporation (the “ Company ”), proposes to sell to the underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “ Underwriters ”) an aggregate of $450,000,000 principal amount of the Company’s 3.70% First Mortgage Bonds, Series No. 5 due August 15, 2047 (the “ Bonds ”) to be issued under its Indenture, dated as of August 1, 2011, from the Company to U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “ Trustee ”), as previously amended and supplemented and as to be amended and supplemented by a supplemental indenture relating to the Bonds (such Indenture as so amended and supplemented being hereinafter referred to as the “ Indenture ”).

1. Representations and Warranties by the Company . The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter that:

(a) The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Act ”), and has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) an “automatic shelf registration statement” as

defined under Rule 405 under the Act, including a prospectus, for the registration under the Act of the Bonds, which registration statement initially became effective not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof. Such registration statement (File No. 333-203664-03) and prospectus may have been amended or supplemented from time to time prior to the date of this Agreement. Any such amendment or supplement was filed with the Commission and any such amendment has become effective. As used in this Agreement:

(i) “ Applicable Time ” means 2:20 p.m., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement;

(ii) “ Effective Date ” means any date as of which any part of such registration statement relating to the Bonds became, or is deemed to have become, effective under the Act in accordance with the rules and regulations thereunder;

(iii) “ Final Term Sheet ” means the final term sheet relating to the Bonds and prepared and filed pursuant to Section 4(a) hereof;

(iv) “ Issuer Free Writing Prospectus ” means each “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act), including the Final Term Sheet, prepared by or on behalf of the Company or used or referred to by the Company in connection with the offering of the Bonds;

(v) “ Preliminary Prospectus ” means any preliminary form of prospectus supplement relating to the Bonds (together with the base prospectus of the Company in the form in which it appears in the Registration Statement) which has heretofore been or is required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act and used prior to the filing of the Prospectus;

(vi) “ Pricing Disclosure Package ” means, as of the Applicable Time, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, together with each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus filed or used by the Company on or before the Applicable Time, plus the pricing terms of the offering of the Bonds and the terms and conditions of the Bonds specified in the Final Term Sheet;

(vii) “ Prospectus ” means the base prospectus of the Company in the form in which it appears in the Registration Statement together with the final prospectus supplement relating to the Bonds, in the form in which it shall be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act (including the base prospectus as so supplemented); and

(viii) “ Registration Statement ” means, collectively, the various parts of such registration statement of the Company, each as amended as of the Effective Date for such part, including any Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, any prospectus supplement relating to the Bonds that is filed with the Commission and deemed by virtue of Rule 430B to be part of such registration statement, and all exhibits to such registration statement.

Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”), on or before the date of this Agreement and, if the Company files any documents pursuant to the Exchange Act after the date of this Agreement and prior to the termination of the offering of the Bonds by the Underwriters, which documents are deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Prospectus, such filing shall constitute an amendment or supplement to the Prospectus and the term “Prospectus” shall refer also to said Prospectus as supplemented by the documents so filed from and after the time said documents are filed with the Commission. Any reference to the “most recent Preliminary Prospectus” shall be deemed to refer to the latest Preliminary Prospectus included in the Registration Statement or filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act prior to or on the date hereof (including for purposes hereof, any documents incorporated by reference therein prior to or on the date hereof).

(b) As of the determination date applicable to the Registration Statement (and any amendment thereof) and the offering contemplated hereby, the Company is a “well-known seasoned issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) eligible to use Form S-3 for the offering of the Bonds, including not having been an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405) at any such time or date.

(c) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act has been received by the Company.

(d) The Registration Statement, on the Effective Date, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Act, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “ Trust Indenture Act ”), and the respective rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and did not and will not, as of the Effective Date, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and, as of the date of the Prospectus and as of the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), the Prospectus will comply in all material respects with the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to (A) that part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of the Trustee or (B) the information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any Underwriter specifically for use in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information so furnished consists of the information described in Section 10(g) hereof. Each Preliminary Prospectus and the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of

any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 of the Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the rules under the Act, and each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T under the Act.

(e) The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and any documents so filed and incorporated by reference subsequent to the date of this Agreement or any further amendment or supplement to the Prospectus will, when they are filed with the Commission, conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; and none of such documents include or will include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit or will omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(f) The Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to (A) that part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of the Trustee or (B) the information contained in or omitted from the Pricing Disclosure Package in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any Underwriter specifically for use in the Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information so furnished consists of the information described in Section 10(g) hereof.

(g) Prior to the execution of this Agreement, the Company has not made and will not make (other than the Final Term Sheet) any offer relating to the Bonds that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without the prior consent of the Underwriters; the Final Term Sheet and any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus the use of which have been consented to by the Company and the Underwriters are listed on Schedule II hereto; the Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Act with respect to any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus; any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus will not, as of its issue date and through the time the Bonds are delivered pursuant to Section 3 hereof, include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, when taken together with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, did not, when issued or filed pursuant to Rule 433, and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements or omissions made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with the information furnished to

the Company by any Underwriter expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information so furnished consists of the information described in Section 10(g) hereof.

(h) The financial statements of the Company filed as a part of or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and fairly present the financial position of the Company as of the dates indicated and the results of its operations and changes in financial position for the periods specified, and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed in such financial statements.

(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of New Mexico; and the Company is qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification and the failure to so qualify might permanently impair the title to property material to its operations or its right to enforce a material contract against others or expose it to substantial liability, except where the failure to be so qualified would not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company (a “ Material Adverse Effect ”).

(j) The Company has no subsidiaries that would be deemed “significant subsidiaries” under Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act.

(k) Since the most recent dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus there has been no material adverse change in the condition of the Company, financial or otherwise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(l) The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Indenture, the issuance and delivery of the Bonds, the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated and the fulfillment of the terms hereof, and compliance with the terms and provisions of this Agreement, the Bonds and the Indenture did not and will not (i) conflict with, or result in the breach of, any of the terms, provisions or conditions of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws of the Company, or (ii) conflict with, or result in the breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance (other than the lien of the Indenture) upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other contract, agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound or to which its properties are subject or (iii) result in the violation of any law, statute, order, rule or regulation applicable to the Company of any court or of any federal or state regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company or over its properties except, in the case of clauses (ii) or (iii), any such conflict, breach or violation

which, if it did exist, would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(m) The Bonds have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the Indenture and delivered and paid for as provided herein, will be duly issued and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as limited by bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights and general equitable principles, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

(n) The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and, when duly executed and delivered by the Company, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, will constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights and general equitable principles.

(o) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(p) The issuance and sale of the Bonds have been approved by an order of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (the “ NMPRC ”) and such order is final and in full force and effect on the date hereof; no other approval of, or any consent, authorization or order of, or filing or registration with, any regulatory public body, state or federal, or any court having jurisdiction over the Company, is, or will be at the Closing Date, necessary in connection with the issuance and sale of the Bonds pursuant to this Agreement or the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Indenture, other than such approvals that have been obtained under the Act and the Trust Indenture Act and approvals that may be required under state securities laws or regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“ FINRA ”).

(q) To the extent it is not Excepted Property (as defined in the Indenture), the Company has good title to all real and fixed property it owns and title to all personal property owned by it (except, in each case, such properties as have been released from the lien thereof in accordance with the terms thereof), subject only to Permitted Liens (as defined in the Indenture), the lien of the Indenture as to parts of the Company’s property, certain easements, conditions, restrictions, leases, and similar encumbrances which do not affect the Company’s use of such property in the usual course of its business, certain minor defects in titles which are not material, and defects in titles to certain properties which are not essential to the Company’s business or which will not have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.

(r) Other than as set forth or contemplated in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company is a party which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, there are no proceedings that are threatened or

contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others that are required to be described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus which are not described as required.

2. Purchase and Sale . Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price of 98.550% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued interest, if any, from August 9, 2017 to the Closing Date hereunder, the principal amount of the Bonds set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto.

The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the offering of the Bonds contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company or any other person. Additionally, none of the Underwriters is advising the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Underwriters shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company with respect thereto. Any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company.

3. Delivery and Payment . Delivery of and payment for the Bonds shall be made at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on August 9, 2017, at the offices of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, 2200 Wells Fargo Center, 90 South 7 ^th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 (the “ Closing Location ”), which date and time may be postponed by agreement between the Underwriters and the Company (such date and time being herein called the “ Closing Date ”). Delivery of the Bonds shall be made to Mizuho Securities USA LLC for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters against payment by the several Underwriters through Mizuho Securities USA LLC of the purchase price thereof to or upon the order of the Company in federal (same day) funds to the account specified by the Company to Mizuho Securities USA LLC by causing The Depository Trust Company (“ DTC ”) to credit the Bonds to the account of Mizuho Securities USA LLC at DTC. The Bonds will be delivered in definitive registered form except that, if for any reason the Company is unable to deliver the Bonds in definitive form, the Company reserves the right, as provided in the Indenture, to make delivery in temporary form. Any Bonds delivered in temporary form will be exchangeable without charge for Bonds in definitive form. The Bonds will be registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of DTC and will be made available to the Underwriters for checking in New York, New York, not later than 2:00 p.m., New York City time, on the business day preceding the Closing Date.

4. Agreements of the Company . The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:

(a) The Company will cause the Prospectus, in a form approved by the Underwriters, to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act and will notify the Underwriters promptly of such filing. The Company will prepare the Final Term Sheet, containing solely a description of the terms of the Bonds and of the offering, and will file such Final Term Sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, and will notify the Underwriters promptly of such filing. During the period for which a prospectus relating to the Bonds is required to be delivered under the Act (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule), the Company will promptly advise the Underwriters (i) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or shall have become effective, (ii) when any subsequent supplement to the Prospectus (including documents deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Prospectus) has been filed and shall furnish the Underwriters with copies thereof, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for any additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (v) of the suspension of the qualification of the Bonds for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, (vi) of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding or examination for any such purpose, and (vii) of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or for additional information. During the period for which a prospectus relating to the Bonds is required to be delivered under the Act (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule), the Company will not file (i) any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus (excluding documents deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Prospectus) unless the Company has furnished to the Underwriters a copy for their review prior to filing and will not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Underwriters reasonably object or (ii) any document that would be deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Prospectus without delivering to the Underwriters a copy of the document proposed to be so filed, such delivery to be made at least 24 hours prior to such filing, and the Company will consult with the Underwriters as to any comments which the Underwriters make in a timely manner with respect to such document. During the period for which a prospectus relating to the Bonds is required to be delivered under the Act (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule), the Company will promptly file all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Bonds. Following the Closing Date and, for as long as a prospectus relating to the Bonds is required to be delivered under the Act, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Company will promptly use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order. In the event of the Company’s receipt of a notice objecting to the use of the form of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, the Company will promptly take such steps including, without limitation, amending the Registration Statement or filing a new registration statement, at its own expense, as may be

necessary to permit offers and sales of the Bonds by the Underwriters (and references herein to the “Registration Statement” shall include any such amendment or new registration statement).

(b) If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Bonds is required to be delivered under the Act (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule), any event occurs as a result of which the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act or the respective rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, the Company promptly, subject to paragraph (a) of this Section 4, will prepare and file an amendment or supplement to the Prospectus with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters a reasonable number of copies thereof, or will make a filing with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the Exchange Act, which will correct such statement or omission or will effect such compliance.

(c) The Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Underwriters an earnings statement (which need not be audited) of the Company, for a twelve-month period beginning after the date of the Prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, as soon as is reasonably practicable after the end of such period, but in any event no later than eighteen months after the “effective date of the Registration Statement” (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), which will satisfy the provision of Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including at the option of the Company, Rule 158).

(d) The Company will deliver to the Underwriters conformed copies of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (including all documents incorporated by reference therein) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the Act (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule), all amendments of and supplements to such documents, in each case as soon as available and in such quantities as the Underwriters may reasonably request.

(e) Other than the Final Term Sheet prepared and filed pursuant to Section 4(a) hereof, without the prior written consent of the Underwriters, the Company has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Bonds that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act.

(f) The Company will promptly file all material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act and will retain as and to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Act all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses not required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the rules and regulations under the Act. If at any time after the date hereof any events shall have occurred as a result of which any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the

Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary to amend or supplement any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Company will notify the Underwriters and, upon their request, file such document and prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter as many copies as the Underwriters may from time to time reasonably request of an amended or supplemented Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that will correct such conflict, statement or omission or effect such compliance.

(g) The Company will furnish such information, execute such instruments and take such action as may be required to qualify the Bonds for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the Underwriters may designate and will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Bonds; provided that the Company shall not be required to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action which would subject it to general or unlimited service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.

(h) So long as the Bonds are outstanding, the Company will furnish (or cause to be furnished) to each of the Underwriters, upon request, copies of all reports and financial statements filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange.

(i) During the period beginning from the date of this Agreement and continuing to the Closing Date, the Company will not offer, sell, or otherwise dispose of any long-term debt securities of the Company (except under prior contractual commitments which have been disclosed to you), without the prior written consent of the Underwriters, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

(j) In connection with the offering of the Bonds, until the Underwriters shall have notified the Company of the completion of the sale of the Bonds, the Company will not, and will use its best efforts to cause its controlled affiliates not to, either alone or with one or more other persons (i) bid for or purchase for any account in which it or any such affiliate has a beneficial interest in any Bonds or attempt to induce any person to purchase any Bonds or (ii) make bids or purchases for the purpose of creating actual, or apparent, active trading in, or of raising the price of, the Bonds.

(k) The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to stabilize or manipulate, or which constitutes or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation, of the price of any security of the Company in connection with the offering of the Bonds.

5. Agreements of the Underwriters . Each Underwriter hereby severally represents and agrees that:

(a) It has not and will not use, authorize use of, refer to, or participate in the planning for use of, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the

Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company pursuant to Rule 433 under the Act, other than (i) a free writing prospectus that contains no “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the Act) that was not included (including through incorporation by reference) in the Preliminary Prospectus or a previously filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (ii) the Final Term Sheet or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such Underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing.

(b) It will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain, as and to the extent required under Rule 433 under the Act, copies of each free writing prospectus used or referred to by it, in accordance with Rule 433.

(c) It will notify Mizuho Securities USA LLC when it has completed the sale of the Bonds and Mizuho Securities USA LLC, in turn, will notify the Company when the sale of the Bonds has been completed.

6. Expenses . Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay all costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, all costs, taxes and expenses incident to the issue and delivery of the Bonds to the Underwriters, all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants, all costs and expenses incident to the preparation, printing, filing and distribution of the Registration Statement (including all exhibits thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus (including all documents incorporated by reference therein), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any amendments thereof or supplements thereto, all costs and expenses incurred in connection with “blue sky” qualifications (including all fees and expenses of underwriters’ counsel not to exceed $5,000), all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the rating of the Bonds, all costs and expenses of the printing and distribution of all documents in connection with the offering, the fees and expenses of the Trustee and any paying agent (including related fees and expenses of any counsel to such parties) and all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of any offering by FINRA. Except as provided in this Section 6 and Sections 9 and 10 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel and any advertising expenses in connection with any offer they may make.

7. Conditions to the Obligations of the Underwriters . The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Bonds shall be subject, in the discretion of the Underwriters, to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the date hereof and the Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company’s officers on and as of the Closing Date made in any certificates given pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; all filings

(including, without limitation, the Final Term Sheet) required by Rule 433 under the Act shall have been made, and no such filings shall have been made without the consent of the Underwriters; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof or preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act has been received by the Company; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to the Underwriters’ reasonable satisfaction.

(b) The Underwriters shall be furnished with opinion letters, dated the Closing Date, of:

(i) counsel to the Company, that address substantially the matters set forth in Exhibit A;

(ii) Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, counsel to the Company, that address substantially the matters set forth in Exhibit B;

(iii) Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, counsel to the Company, that address substantially the matters set forth in Exhibit C; and

(iv) Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, P.C., counsel to the Company, that address substantially the matters set forth in Exhibit D.

(c) The Underwriters shall have received from Hunton & Williams LLP, New York, New York, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions dated the Closing Date with respect to such matters as the Underwriters may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

(d) The Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters a certificate of the President, Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President or any Vice President of the Company, dated the Closing Date, as to the matters set forth in paragraphs (a) and (h) of this Section 7 and to the further effect that the signers of such certificate have examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and this Agreement and that, to the best of his or her knowledge:

(i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct on and as of the Closing Date with the same effect as if made on the Closing Date, and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date; and

(ii) there has been no material adverse change in the condition of the Company, financial or otherwise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, from that set forth in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, or the Prospectus.

(e) The Underwriters shall have received letters from Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent public accountants for the Company (dated the date of this Agreement and the Closing Date, respectively, and in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters) advising that (i) they are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company as required by the Act and published rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (ii) in their opinion, the financial statements and supplemental schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus and covered by their opinion filed with the Commission under Section 13 of the Exchange Act comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Exchange Act and the published rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (iii) that they have performed limited procedures, not constituting an audit, including a reading of the latest available interim financial statements of the Company, a reading of the minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors, committees thereof, and of the shareholder of the Company since the date of the most recent audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, inquiries of officials of the Company responsible for financial accounting matters and such other inquiries and procedures as may be specified in such letter, and on the basis of such limited review and procedures nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe that: (A) (1) any material modifications should be made to any unaudited financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles or (2) any unaudited financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission applicable to Form 10-Q; and (B) with respect to the period subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus and except as set forth in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, there were any adverse changes, at a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date of the letter, in the capital stock of the Company, incurrences of long-term debt of the Company as compared to the amounts shown on the most recent balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or, as of a specified date, there were any decreases in stockholder’s equity or net current assets of the Company as compared with the amounts shown on the most recent balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or for the period from the date of the most recent financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus to such specified date there were any decreases, as compared with the corresponding period in the preceding year, in operating revenues, operating income or net income of the Company, except in all instances for changes or decreases set forth in such letter, in which case the letter shall be accompanied by an explanation by the Company as to the significance thereof unless said explanation is not deemed necessary by the Underwriters; and (iv) they have carried out specified procedures performed for the purpose of comparing certain specified financial information and percentages (which is limited to financial information derived from general accounting records of the Company or, to the extent not so derived, from

schedules prepared by Company officers responsible for such accounting records) included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus with indicated amounts in the financial statements or accounting records of the Company and (excluding any questions of legal interpretation) have found such information and percentages to be in agreement with the relevant accounting and financial information of the Company referred to in such letter in the description of the procedures performed by them.

(f) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Disclosure Package, there shall not have been any change or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (e) of this Section 7 which makes it impractical or inadvisable in the judgment of the Underwriters to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Bonds on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Pricing Disclosure Package.

(g) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Bonds or any other debt securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined by the Commission for purposes of the Exchange Act (other than downgrades of debt securities issued by or on behalf of governmental entities for the benefit of the Company solely as a result of downgrades of ratings of any third parties insuring such debt securities) and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of the Bonds or of any other debt securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading and other than with respect to debt securities issued by or on behalf of governmental entities for the benefit of the Company solely as a result of any such announcement with respect to any third parties insuring such debt securities).

(h) Since the most recent dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus there has been no material adverse change in the condition of the Company, financial or otherwise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the effect of which is in the judgment of the Underwriters so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or the delivery of the Bonds on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus.

(i) No Underwriter shall have advised the Company that the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact which in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters is material or omits to state a fact which in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

(j) No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or

regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Bonds; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Bonds.

(k) All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form and validity of the Indenture and this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be reasonably satisfactory to counsel to the Underwriters, and prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters such other customary information, certificates and documents as they may reasonably request.

(l) The Company and Trustee shall have entered into the supplemental indenture relating to the Bonds, and the Underwriters shall have received counterparts, conformed as executed thereof, and the Bonds shall have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee.

If any of the conditions specified in this Section 7 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriters and their counsel, this Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be cancelled at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Underwriters. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing, or by telephone, telegraph or facsimile transmission confirmed in writing, as set forth in Section 14 hereof.

8. Conditions of Company’s Obligations . The obligations of the Company to sell and deliver the Bonds are subject to the following conditions:

(a) Prior to the Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company or the Underwriters, threatened and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act has been received by the Company.

(b) The order of the NMPRC referred to in Section 1(p) hereof shall be final and in full force and effect.

If any of the conditions specified in this Section 8 shall not have been fulfilled, this Agreement and all obligations of the Company hereunder may be cancelled on or at any time prior to the Closing Date by the Company. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Underwriters in writing or by telephone or facsimile transmission confirmed in writing, as set forth in Section 14 hereof.

9. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses . If the sale of the Bonds provided for herein is not consummated because (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 12, (ii) any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 7 hereof is not satisfied or (iii) of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof, other than by reason of a default by any of the Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by them in

connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Bonds, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

10. Indemnification .

(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, legal fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (or amendment or supplement thereto) or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use therein.

(b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (including, without limitation, legal fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted as such fees and expenses are incurred) that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information identified in Section 10(g) hereof as being provided by the Underwriters.

(c) If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to either paragraph (a) or (b) above, such person (the “ Indemnified Person ”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “ Indemnifying Person ”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under this Section 10 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further , that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any

liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under this Section 10. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person, which may be counsel to the Indemnifying Person, to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section 10 that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Underwriters and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.

(d) If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a) and (b) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from

the offering of the Bonds or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Bonds and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Bonds. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by any Underwriter expressly for use therein and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

(e) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 10 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (d) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10, in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Bonds exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 10 are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.

(f) The remedies provided for in this Section 10 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.

(g) The Underwriters severally confirm and the Company acknowledges that the statements with respect to the offering of the Bonds by the Underwriters set forth in the third, sixth (only the second and third sentences thereof), seventh (only as to themselves in the sixth sentence thereof), eighth and eleventh (only the first sentence thereof) paragraphs in the section entitled “Underwriting; Conflicts of Interest” in the prospectus supplement that is a part of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus are correct and constitute the only information concerning such Underwriters furnished in writing to the Company by or

on behalf of the Underwriters specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.

11. Default by an Underwriter.

(a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Bonds that it has agreed to purchase hereunder (in this Section called the “ Unpurchased Bonds ”), the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for themselves or another party or other parties to purchase such Unpurchased Bonds on the terms contained herein. If within 36 hours after such default by any Underwriter the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Unpurchased Bonds, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Unpurchased Bonds on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed period, the non-defaulting Underwriters notify the Company that they have so arranged for the purchase of such Unpurchased Bonds, or the Company notifies such non-defaulting Underwriters that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Unpurchased Bonds, such Underwriters or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for such Unpurchased Bonds for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in the opinion of the non-defaulting Underwriters may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Unpurchased Bonds.

(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Unpurchased Bonds of a defaulting Underwriter by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Unpurchased Bonds that remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of the Bonds, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Bonds that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the principal amount of Bonds that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Unpurchased Bonds of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Unpurchased Bonds of a defaulting Underwriter by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of Unpurchased Bonds that remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of the Bonds, as referred to in subsection (b) above, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Unpurchased Bonds of the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of

any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as provided in Section 6 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 10 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

12. Termination . This Agreement shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Underwriters, by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for all Bonds, if prior to such time (i) trading shall have been suspended or materially limited on the New York Stock Exchange or the over-the-counter market, (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities clearance or settlement services shall have occurred or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the Underwriters, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Bonds on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus.

13. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery . The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of their respective officers, directors or controlling persons within the meaning of the Act, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Bonds. The provisions of Sections 6, 9, 10 and 17 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.

14. Notices . All communications hereunder will be in writing and, (i) if sent to the Underwriters, will be mailed, delivered or transmitted and confirmed to them at KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., 127 Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, Attention: Debt Syndicate, Fax: (216) 689-0976; Mizuho Securities USA LLC, 320 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022, Attention: Debt Capital Markets Desk, Fax: (212) 205-7812; U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., 214 North Tryon Street, 26 ^th Floor, EX-NC-WSTC, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, Attention: High Grade Syndicate, Fax: (877) 733-3462; and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, 550 South Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, Attention: Transaction Management, Fax: (704) 410-0326, or (ii) if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or transmitted and confirmed to it at 414 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401, Attention: Brian J. Van Abel, Vice President and Treasurer, Fax: (612) 215-5311. All communications shall take effect at the time of receipt thereof.

15. Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.

16. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement . This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 10 hereof, and the affiliates of each Underwriter referred to in Section 10 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of Bonds from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.

17. Applicable Law . This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

18. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, all of which, taken together, shall constitute a single agreement among the parties to such counterparts.

19. Amendment and Waiver . No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

20. Other . Time shall be of the essence for all purposes of this Agreement. As used herein, “business day” shall mean any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City.

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this Agreement and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters.

Very truly yours,



		SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE
		COMPANY (a New Mexico corporation)

	By:	/s/ Brian J. Van Abel
		Name: Brian J. Van Abel
		Title: Vice President and Treasurer

The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed
and accepted as of the date first above written.



KEYBANC CAPITAL MARKETS INC.

By:	/s/ Eamon McDermott
	Name: Eamon McDermott
	Title: Director



MIZUHO SECURITIES USA LLC

By:	/s/ W. Scott Trachsel
	Name: W. Scott Trachsel
	Title: Managing Director



U.S. BANCORP INVESTMENTS, INC.

By:	/s/ Phillip Bennett
	Name: Phillip Bennett
	Title: Managing Director



WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC

By:	/s/ Carolyn Hurley
	Name: Carolyn Hurley
	Title: Director

As Underwriters

SCHEDULE I



Name	Amount

KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.		$112,500,000
Mizuho Securities USA LLC	112,500,000
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.	112,500,000
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC	112,500,000


Total		$450,000,000

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SCHEDULE II

Final Term Sheet / Issuer Free Writing Prospectus


1.	Free Writing Prospectus, dated the date of the Underwriting Agreement, relating to the Bonds and filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Act.

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EXHIBIT A

Matters to be addressed by opinion letter of Company Counsel

1. Neither the execution, delivery or performance of the Indenture or the Agreement, the issuance and delivery of the Bonds nor the compliance by the Company with all the terms and provisions of the Indenture and the Agreement will result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, (i) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its properties or assets are subject and of which I have Actual Knowledge, or (ii) any United States Federal statute, rule or regulation that is part of a regulatory scheme specifically applicable to business organizations engaged in the type of regulated business activities conducted by the Company (“Specified U.S. Federal Law”) or, to my Actual Knowledge, any order of any court or of any Federal or state regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body that specifically names the Company and is specifically directed to it or any of its properties, except any such breach, violation or default which, if it did exist, would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business (this opinion being limited in that I express no opinion with respect to any violation or default (1) not readily ascertainable from the face of any such order, decree or agreement, (2) arising under or based upon any cross-default provision insofar as it relates to a violation or default under an agreement as of which I do not have Actual Knowledge or (3) arising as a result of any violation of or default under any agreement or covenant by failure to comply with any financial or numerical requirement requiring computation).

2. The issuance and sale of the Bonds have been approved by an order of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (the “NMPRC”) and such order is final and in full force and effect, subject to a post-issuance informational filing to be made with the NMPRC. No further approval, authorization, consent, certificate or order of, or filing or registration with, any United States Federal governmental body is required under Specified U.S. Federal Law in connection with the issuance and sale of the Bonds by the Company as provided in the Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

3. To my Actual Knowledge, there is no litigation pending against the Company before a court or other adjudicative tribunal required to be described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus that is not described as required.

4. Each of the Exchange Act Documents (as defined below) that was filed with the Commission prior to the date of this letter at the time of filing complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, except that in each case no opinion is expressed with respect to the financial statements, financial schedules and other financial and statistical data included or incorporated by reference therein.

I, or other attorneys in the Company’s Law Department at my request, have participated in the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and

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the Prospectus includes the documents incorporated in or deemed to be incorporated therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Act (collectively, such incorporated documents, the “Exchange Act Documents”). From time to time, I, or other attorneys in the Company’s Law Department at my request, have had discussions with certain officers, directors and employees of the Company, with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm who examined the financial statements of the Company included in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, with the Underwriters and with our counsel and with counsel to the Underwriters concerning the information contained in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and the responses to various items in Form S-3. I have not independently verified and am not passing upon, and do not assume any responsibility for, the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Based solely on my participation (and the participation of other attorneys in the Company’s Law Department at my request) and discussions described above, however, no facts have come to my attention that cause me to believe that the Registration Statement (including all information deemed to be part of and included therein pursuant to Rule 430B under the Act), as of August 2, 2017 (which is the date you have identified as the earlier of the date the Prospectus was first used or the date of the first contract of sale of any Bonds), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, that the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of 2:20 p.m., New York City time, on August 2, 2017 (which is specified in the Agreement as the “Applicable Time”), included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or that the Prospectus, as of its date or as of the date hereof, included or includes any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that in each case I express no view with respect to (a) the financial statements, financial schedules and other financial and statistical data included or incorporated by reference therein, (b) the information referred to under the caption “Experts” as having been included or incorporated by reference therein on the authority of Deloitte & Touche LLP, as experts or (c) the Statement of Eligibility of the Trustee on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act.

Insofar as matters in such opinion letter are stated to be to such counsel’s “Actual Knowledge” or refer to the state of counsel’s knowledge, “Actual Knowledge” means the conscious awareness of such counsel of facts or other information without any other investigation.

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EXHIBIT B

Matters to be addressed by opinion letter of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP

1. The Bonds, when authenticated by the Trustee in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, to the extent New York law is applicable thereto, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to (i) applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent conveyance, voidable preference, receivership and other laws of general application affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights, (ii) general principles of equity, including without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith, fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies, whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, (iii) public policy considerations that may limit the rights of parties to obtain specific remedies or enforce specific terms, and (iv) governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States.

2. To the extent New York law is applicable thereto, the Indenture creates under the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted and in effect in the State of New York (the “New York UCC”) a security interest in favor of the Trustee for the benefit of the holders from time to time of Securities (as defined in the Indenture) properly issued under the Indenture, on all personal property described therein as subject to the lien thereof (except such properties as may have been sold, exchanged or otherwise disposed of or released from the lien thereof in accordance with the terms thereof, and except such properties as are excluded from the application of Article 9 of the New York UCC), to the extent of the Company’s interest in such personal property and to the extent value has been given on behalf of the secured parties.

3. The Indenture, to the extent New York law is applicable thereto, constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to (i) applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent conveyance, voidable preference, receivership and other laws of general application affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights, laws affecting the rights of mortgagees and other secured parties generally and state laws affecting the enforcement of certain remedial provisions, provided that such state laws affecting the enforcement of certain remedial provisions will not, in our opinion, render the remedies afforded by the Indenture, to the extent New York law is applicable thereto, inadequate for the practical realization of the benefits of the security afforded thereby, (ii) general principles of equity, including without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith, fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies, whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, (iii) public policy considerations that may limit the rights of parties to obtain specific remedies or enforce specific terms, and (iv) governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States.

4. The Bonds, when authenticated by the Trustee in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, to the extent New York law is applicable thereto, will be entitled to the benefits

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and security of the Indenture and will be secured equally and ratably with all other Securities outstanding under the Indenture.

5. Neither the execution and the delivery of the Agreement, the consummation of the transactions effected by the Agreement and by the Indenture and the fulfillment of the terms thereof, the issuance and delivery of the Bonds nor the compliance by the Company with all the terms and provisions of the Indenture and the Agreement will result in a violation of any Generally Applicable U.S. Federal Law, except any such violation which, if it did exist, would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business. As used herein, the term “Generally Applicable U.S. Federal Law” means any United States Federal statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Company other than those that are part of a regulatory scheme specifically applicable to business organizations engaged in the type of regulated business activities conducted by the Company.

6. No approval, authorization, consent, certificate or order of, or filing or registration with, any United States Federal governmental body is required under Generally Applicable U.S. Federal Law in connection with the issuance and sale of the Bonds by the Company as provided in the Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as may be required under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”).

7. The statements contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the captions “Description of the First Mortgage Bonds,” and “Supplemental Description of the First Mortgage Bonds,” insofar as such statements purport to summarize legal matters or provisions of documents referred to therein, present fair summaries of such legal matters and documents.

8. The statements contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the captions “Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations,” to the extent they constitute matters of federal income tax law applicable to the Bonds, are an accurate summary of the matters referred to therein in all material respects.

We have participated in the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus includes the documents incorporated in or deemed to be incorporated therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act (collectively, the “Exchange Act Documents”). From time to time, we have had discussions with certain officers, directors and employees of the Company, with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm who examined the financial statements of the Company included in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, with the Underwriters and with counsel to the Underwriters concerning the information contained in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and the responses to various items in Form S-3. Based upon our

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participation and discussions described above, we are of the view that the Registration Statement (including all information deemed to be part of and included therein pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act but excluding the Exchange Act Documents), as of August 2, 2017 which is the date you have identified as the earlier of the date the Prospectus was first used or the date of the first contract of sale of any Bonds (such date, the “Effective Date”), and the Prospectus (excluding the Exchange Act Documents), as of its date, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder, except that we express no view with respect to (a) the financial statements, financial schedules and other financial and statistical data included or incorporated by reference therein or (b) the information referred to under the caption “Experts” as having been included or incorporated by reference therein on the authority of Deloitte & Touche LLP, as experts.

We have not independently verified and are not passing upon, and do not assume any responsibility for, the accuracy, completeness or fairness (except as and to the extent set forth in paragraphs 7 and 8 above) of the information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Based solely on our participation and discussions described above, however, no facts have come to our attention that cause us to believe that the Registration Statement (including all information deemed to be part of and included therein pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act), as of the Effective Date, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, that the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of 2:20 p.m., New York City time, on August 2, 2017 (which is specified in the Agreement as the “Applicable Time”), included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or that the Prospectus, as of its date and as of the date hereof, included or includes any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that in each case we express no view with respect to (a) the financial statements, financial schedules and other financial and statistical data included or incorporated by reference therein or (b) the information referred to under the caption “Experts” as having been included or incorporated by reference therein on the authority of Deloitte & Touche LLP, as experts.

The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act, and, to our Actual Knowledge (as defined in Annex A attached hereto), no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose are pending or threatened by the Commission. The Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act.

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EXHIBIT C

Matters to be addressed by opinion letter of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP

1. The Company is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the state of New Mexico.

2. The Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

3. The Base Indenture and the Supplemental Indenture have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

4. The Bonds have been duly authorized, executed and issued by the Company and when authenticated by Trustee in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, to the extent New Mexico law is applicable thereto, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to (i) applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent conveyance, voidable preference, receivership and other laws of general application affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights, (ii) general principles of equity, including without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith, fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, (iii) public policy considerations that may limit the rights of parties to obtain specific remedies or enforce specific terms, (iv) governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States, and (v) any judicial determination holding that provisions that waive or vary any statutory, constitutional, common law or equitable rights, or which are deemed to be unreasonable or unconscionable, are unenforceable.

5. The Company has title to the Significant Fee Properties (except such thereof as may have been sold, exchanged or otherwise disposed of), subject only to the lien of the Indenture and Permitted Liens.

6. Assuming that the provisions of the Indenture are sufficient to create a valid security interest in favor of Trustee for the benefit of the holders from time to time of Securities properly issued under the Indenture on all Personal Property described therein as subject to the lien thereof and that such security interest has attached, the filings of financing statements under the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted and in effect in the State of New Mexico (the “New Mexico UCC”) made in connection with the Indenture will perfect such security interest to the extent perfection can be accomplished by filings under the New Mexico UCC, subject to no security interests prior to the security interest created by the Indenture other than (i) Permitted Liens and (ii) in the case of any Personal Property that has become a fixture, any lien existing on the land to which such Personal Property was affixed at the time of such affixation and also subject to the provisions of Article Twelve of the Indenture and to certain possible claims of a trustee in bankruptcy and possible claims and taxes of the federal government and state and local taxing authorities and the provisions of

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(a) NMSA 1978, §3-48-7, which grants priority for costs incurred in a municipality’s removal of refuse, waste, or other unwholesome materials, and (b) NMSA 1978, §69-25B-8, which grants priority back to the date of expenditures for any remediation costs incurred by the Director of the Mining and Minerals Division of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department to restore, reclaim, abate, control or prevent adverse effects of past mining practices on privately owned land.

7. The Indenture and the recording of notice thereof in each county in the State of New Mexico identified in the Property Certificate constitute a mortgage lien on all Significant Fee Properties (except such thereof as may have been sold, exchanged or otherwise disposed of) in such county and described in the Indenture as subject to the lien thereof (except such properties as may have been sold, exchanged or otherwise disposed of or released from the lien thereof in accordance with the terms thereof), subject to no liens prior to the lien of the Indenture other than Permitted Liens and also subject to the provisions of Article Twelve of the Indenture and to certain possible claims of a trustee in bankruptcy and possible claims and taxes of the federal government, state and local taxing authorities and the provisions of (i) NMSA 1978, §3-48-7, which grants priority for costs incurred in a municipality’s removal of refuse, waste, or other unwholesome materials, and (ii) NMSA 1978, §69-25B-8, which grants priority back to the date of expenditures for any remediation costs incurred by the Director of the Mining and Minerals Division of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department to restore, reclaim, abate, control or prevent adverse effects of past mining practices on privately owned land.

8. The Indenture, to the extent New Mexico law is applicable thereto, constitutes a legal, valid and binding mortgage of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to (i) applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent conveyance, voidable preference, receivership and other laws of general application affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights, laws affecting the rights of mortgagees and other secured parties generally and state laws affecting the enforcement of certain remedial provisions, provided that such state laws affecting the enforcement of certain remedial provisions, will not, in our opinion, render the remedies afforded by the Indenture, to the extent New Mexico law is applicable thereto, inadequate for the practical realization of the benefits of the security afforded thereby, (ii) general principles of equity, including without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith, fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies, whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, (iii) public policy considerations that may limit the rights of parties to obtain specific remedies or enforce specific terms, and (iv) governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States, and (v) any judicial determination holding that provisions that waive or vary any statutory, constitutional, common law or equitable rights, or which are deemed to be unreasonable or unconscionable, are unenforceable.

9. The Bonds, when authenticated by Trustee in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, to the extent New Mexico law is applicable thereto, will be entitled to the

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benefits and security of the Indenture and will be secured equally and ratably with all other Securities outstanding under the Indenture.

10. Neither the execution and the delivery of the Indenture or the Agreement, the consummation of the transactions effected thereby and the fulfillment of the terms thereof, the issuance and delivery of the Bonds nor the compliance by the Company with all the terms and provisions of the Indenture and the Agreement will result in a violation of (i) the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws, or (ii) any statute, rule or regulation of the State of New Mexico applicable to the Company, except, in the case of clause (ii), any such violation which, if it did exist, would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business.

11. Assuming the issuance and sale of the Bonds have been approved by an order of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission and such order is final and in full force and effect, no further approval, authorization, consent, certificate or order of, or filing or registration with, any governmental body of the State of New Mexico is required under the laws of the State of New Mexico in connection with the issuance and sale of the Bonds by the Company as provided in the Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (as such terms are defined in the Underwriting Agreement), except as may be required under state securities or blue sky laws.

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EXHIBIT D

Matters to be addressed by opinion letter of Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, P.C.

1. The Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of the State of Texas.

2. The Bonds, when authenticated by the Trustee in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, to the extent Texas law is applicable thereto, constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to (i) applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent conveyance, voidable preference, receivership and other laws of general application affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights, (ii) general principles of equity, including without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith, fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies, whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, (iii) public policy considerations that may limit the rights of parties to obtain specific remedies or enforce specific terms, and (iv) governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States.

3. The Company has good title to the Texas Significant Fee Properties (except such thereof as has been sold, exchanged or otherwise disposed of), subject only to the lien of the Indenture and Permitted Liens (as defined in the Indenture).

4. The Indenture and the recording thereof with the Texas Secretary of State in the Utility Security Instrument Records maintained by it and the filing of the Notices made in connection therewith with each county identified in the Company’s Certificates constitute a mortgage lien on all real property owned of record by the Company in such county and described in the Indenture as subject to the lien thereof (except such properties as may have been sold, exchanged or otherwise disposed of or released from the lien thereof in accordance with the terms thereof), subject to no liens prior to the lien of the Indenture other than Permitted Liens and also subject to the provisions of Article Twelve of the Indenture and to certain possible claims of a trustee in bankruptcy and possible claims and taxes of the federal and state and local taxing authorities.

5. To the extent Texas law is applicable thereto, the Indenture constitutes a legal, valid and binding mortgage of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to (i) applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent conveyance, voidable preference, receivership and other laws of general application affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights, laws affecting the rights of mortgagees and other secured parties generally and state laws affecting the enforcement of certain remedial provisions, provided that such state laws affecting the enforcement of certain remedial provisions, will not, in our opinion, render the remedies afforded by the Indenture, to the extent Texas law is applicable thereto, inadequate

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for the practical realization of the benefits of the security afforded thereby, (ii) general principles of equity, including without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith, fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies, whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, (iii) public policy considerations that may limit the rights of parties to obtain specific remedies or enforce specific terms, and (iv) governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States.

6. The Bonds, when authenticated by the Trustee in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, to the extent Texas law is applicable thereto, will be entitled to the benefits and security of the Indenture and will be secured equally and ratably with all other Securities outstanding under the Indenture.

7. Neither the execution and the delivery of the Indenture or the Agreement, the consummation of the transactions effected thereby and the fulfillment of the terms thereof, the issuance and delivery of the Bonds nor the compliance by the Company with all the terms and provisions of the Indenture and the Agreement will result in a violation of any statute, rule or regulation of the State of Texas applicable to the Company, except any such violation which, if it did exist, would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business.

8. No approval, authorization, consent, certificate or order of, or filing or registration with, any governmental body of the State of Texas is required under the laws of the State of Texas in connection with the issuance and sale of the Bonds by the Company as provided in the Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

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Exhibit 4.02

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

(First Mortgage Bonds)

SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Trustee

This Instrument Grants A Security Interest By A Utility.

This Instrument Contains After-Acquired Property Provisions.

The following addresses for the parties to this Supplemental Indenture No. 5 are set out in Section 108 of the Indenture hereinafter referred to:

Trustee: Company:

U.S. Bank National Association Southwestern Public Service Company

U.S. Bank Corporate Trust Services 790 South Buchanan

60 Livingston Avenue, EP-MN-WS3C Amarillo, Texas 79101

St. Paul, MN 55107-2292

Facsimile No. 651-495-8097

Attention: Joshua A. Hahn

Supplemental Indenture No. 5

Dated as of August 1, 2017

Supplemental to the Indenture

dated as of August 1, 2011

Filed as Texas Utility Security Instrument File No. 11-0022610194

as supplemented by Supplemental Indentures filed with the Texas Secretary of State

Filed with New Mexico Secretary of State on August 2, 2011, as Public Utility Filing No. 599,

as supplemented by Supplemental Indentures filed with the New Mexico Secretary of State

Establishing the Securities of Series No. 5,

Designated 3.70% First Mortgage Bonds, Series No. 5 due 2047

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE NO. 5 , dated as of August 1, 2017 between SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY , a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of New Mexico (hereinafter sometimes called the “ Company ”), and U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION , a national banking association, as trustee (hereinafter sometimes called the “ Trustee ”) under the Indenture, dated as of August 1, 2011 (hereinafter called the “ Original Indenture ”), as previously supplemented and as further supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture No. 5. The Original Indenture and any and all indentures and all other instruments supplemental thereto are hereinafter sometimes collectively called the “ Indenture. ”

Recitals of the Company

The Original Indenture was authorized, executed and delivered by the Company to provide for the issuance from time to time of its Securities (such term and all other capitalized terms used herein without definition having the meanings assigned to them in the Original Indenture), to be issued in one or more series as contemplated therein, and to provide security for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities. The Original Indenture has been filed in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of New Mexico and in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Texas, and notices with respect to such filings have been recorded in each county in New Mexico and each county in Texas in which the Company owns real property that is used or intended to be used in or in connection with the Electric Utility Business, as more fully set forth in Schedule A hereto.

The Company has heretofore executed and delivered to the Trustee the Supplemental Indentures referred to in Schedule B for the purpose of establishing a series of securities.

The Company desires to establish a new series of Securities to be designated “3.70% First Mortgage Bonds, Series No. 5 due 2047,” such series of Securities to be hereinafter sometimes called “ Series No. 5 .”

The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture No. 5 to establish the Securities of Series No. 5 and has duly authorized the issuance of such Securities; and all acts necessary to make this Supplemental Indenture No. 5 a valid agreement of the Company, and to make the Securities of Series No. 5 valid obligations of the Company, have been performed.

Granting Clauses

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE NO. 5 WITNESSETH , that, in consideration of the premises and of the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, and in order to secure the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on all Securities from time to time Outstanding and the performance of the covenants contained therein and in the Indenture and to declare the terms and conditions on which such Securities are secured, the Company hereby grants, bargains, sells, releases, conveys, assigns, transfers, mortgages, pledges, sets over and confirms to the Trustee, and grants to the Trustee a security interest in and lien on, the following:

Granting Clause First

All right, title and interest of the Company, as of the date of the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture No. 5, in and to all property (other than Excepted Property), real, personal and mixed, located in the State of Texas or in the State of New Mexico and used or intended to be used in or in connection with the Electric Utility Business (whether or not such use is the sole use of such property), including all right, title and interest of the Company in and to the following property (other than Excepted Property) so located and so used or intended to be so used: (a) all real property owned in fee, easements, servitudes, rights of way and other rights and interests in or relating to real property used or intended to be used in or in connection with the Electric Utility Business or relating to the occupancy or use of such real property, including but not limited to that described in Schedule C hereto; (b) all plants, generators, turbines, engines, boilers, fuel handling and transportation facilities, air and water pollution control and sewage and solid waste disposal facilities, whether or not control or disposal of such substances is the exclusive function or purpose of such facilities, and other machinery and facilities for the generation of electric energy; (c) all switchyards, lines, towers, substations, transformers and other machinery and facilities for the transmission of electric energy; (d) all lines, poles, conduits, conductors, meters, regulators and other machinery and facilities for the distribution of electric energy; (e) all buildings, offices, warehouses and other structures used or intended to be used in or in connection with the Electric Utility Business; (f) all pipes, cables, insulators, ducts, tools, computers and other data processing and/or storage equipment and other equipment, apparatus and facilities used or intended to be used in or in connection with the Electric Utility Business; (g) any or all of the foregoing properties in the process of construction; and (h) all other property, of whatever kind and nature, ancillary to or otherwise used or intended to be used in conjunction with any or all of the foregoing or otherwise, directly or indirectly, in furtherance of the Electric Utility Business;

Granting Clause Second

Subject to the applicable exceptions permitted by Section 709(d), Section 1203 and Section 1205 of the Original Indenture, all right, title and interest of the Company in and to all property (other than Excepted Property) of the kind and nature described in Granting Clause First which may be hereafter acquired by the Company, it being the intention of the Company that all such property acquired by the Company after the date of the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture No. 5 shall be as fully embraced within and subjected to the Lien hereof as if such property were owned by the Company as of the date of the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture No. 5;

Granting Clause Third

All other property of whatever kind and nature subjected or required to be subjected to the Lien of the Indenture by any of the provisions thereof;

Excepted Property

Expressly excepting and excluding, however, from the Lien and operation of the Indenture all Excepted Property of the Company, whether now owned or hereafter acquired;

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD all such property, real, personal and mixed, unto the Trustee, its successors in trust and their assigns forever;

SUBJECT, HOWEVER, to (a) Existing Liens, (b) Acquisition Liens, (c) Retained Interests and (d) any other Permitted Liens;

IN TRUST, NEVERTHELESS, for the equal and ratable benefit and security of the Holders from time to time of all Outstanding Securities without any priority of any such Security over any other such Security;

PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the right, title and interest of the Trustee in and to the Mortgaged Property shall cease, terminate and become void in accordance with, and subject to the conditions set forth in, Article Eight of the Original Indenture; otherwise the Indenture, and the estate and rights thereby granted shall be and remain in full force and effect; and

THE PARTIES HEREBY FURTHER COVENANT AND AGREE as follows:

ARTICLE ONE

Securities of Series No. 5

There are hereby established the Securities of Series No. 5, which shall have the terms and characteristics set forth below (the lettered subdivisions set forth below corresponding to the lettered subdivisions of Section 301 of the Original Indenture):

(a) the title of the Securities of Series No. 5 shall be “3.70% First Mortgage Bonds, Series No. 5 due 2047”;

(b) the Securities of Series No. 5 shall initially be authenticated and delivered in the aggregate principal amount of $450,000,000. The Securities of Series No. 5 may be reopened and additional Securities of Series No. 5 may be issued in excess of the amount initially authenticated and delivered, provided that such additional Securities of Series No. 5 will contain the same terms (including the Stated Maturity and interest rate), except for the public offering price and issue date and, if applicable, the interest accrual date, as the other Securities of Series No. 5. Any such additional Securities of Series No. 5, together with the Securities of Series No. 5 initially authenticated, shall constitute a single series for purposes of the Indenture and shall be limited to an aggregate principal amount of $800,000,000;

(c) interest on the Securities of Series No. 5 shall be payable to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or one or more Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of

business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, except as otherwise expressly provided in the form of such Securities attached as Exhibit A hereto;

(d) the principal of the Securities of Series No. 5 shall be payable on August 15, 2047, the Stated Maturity for Series No. 5;

(e) the Securities of Series No. 5 shall bear interest at a rate of 3.70% per annum; interest shall accrue on the Securities of Series No. 5 from August 9, 2017 or the most recent date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for; the Interest Payment Dates for such Securities shall be February 15 and August 15 in each year, commencing February 15, 2018 and the Regular Record Dates with respect to the Interest Payment Dates for such Securities shall be February 1 and August 1 in each year, respectively (whether or not a Business Day);

(f) the Corporate Trust Office of U.S. Bank National Association in New York, New York shall be the place at which (i) the principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities of Series No. 5 shall be payable, (ii) registration of transfer of such Securities may be effected, (iii) exchanges of such Securities may be effected and (iv) notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of such Securities and the Indenture may be served; and U.S. Bank National Association shall be the Security Registrar for such Securities; provided, however, that the Company reserves the right to change, by one or more Officer’s Certificates, any such place or the Security Registrar; and provided, further, that the Company reserves the right to designate, by one or more Officer’s Certificates, its office in Minneapolis, Minnesota as any such place or itself as the Security Registrar;

(g) the Securities of Series No. 5 shall be redeemable at the option of the Company at any time prior to their maturity at the redemption prices specified in the form of such Securities attached as Exhibit A hereto;

(h) not applicable;

(i) the Securities of Series No. 5 shall be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof;

(j) not applicable;

(k) not applicable;

(l) not applicable;

(m) not applicable;

(n) not applicable;

(o) not applicable;

(p) not applicable;

(q) the Securities of Series No. 5 are to be initially registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for The Depository Trust Company (the “ Depositary ”). Such Securities shall not be transferable or exchangeable, nor shall any purported transfer be registered, except as follows:


(i)	such Securities may be transferred in whole, and appropriate registration of transfer effected, if such transfer is by such nominee to the Depositary, or by the Depositary to another nominee thereof, or by any nominee of the Depositary to any other nominee thereof, or by the Depositary or any nominee thereof to any successor securities depositary or any nominee thereof; and


(ii)	such Securities may be exchanged for definitive Securities registered in the respective names of the beneficial holders thereof, and thereafter shall be transferable without restriction, if:

(A)

the Depositary, or any successor securities depositary, shall have notified the Company and the Trustee that it is unwilling or unable to continue to act as securities depositary with respect to such Securities or the Depositary has ceased to be a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Trustee shall not have been notified by the Company within ninety (90) days of the identity of a successor securities depositary with respect to such Securities; or


(B)	the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee a Company Order to the effect that such Securities shall be so exchangeable on and after a date specified therein; or

(C)

(1) an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (2) the Trustee shall have given notice of such Event of Default pursuant to Section 1002 of the Original Indenture and (3) there shall have been delivered to the Company and the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the interests of the beneficial owners of such Securities in respect thereof will be materially impaired unless such owners become Holders of definitive Securities;

(r) not applicable;

(s) no service charge shall be made for the registration of transfer or exchange of the Securities of Series No. 5; provided, however, that the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with the exchange or transfer;

(t) not applicable; and


(u)	(i) If the Company shall have caused the Company’s indebtedness in respect of any Securities of Series No. 5 to have been satisfied and discharged prior to the

Maturity of such Securities, as provided in Section 801 of the Original Indenture, the Company shall, promptly after the date of such satisfaction and discharge, give a notice to each Person who was a Holder of any of such Securities on such date stating (A)(1) the aggregate principal amount of such Securities and (2) the aggregate amount of any money (other than amounts, if any, deposited in respect of accrued interest on such Securities) and the aggregate principal amount of, the rate or rates of interest on, and the aggregate fair market value of, any Eligible Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 801 of the Original Indenture with respect to such Securities and (B) that the Company will provide (and the Company shall promptly so provide) to such Person, or any beneficial owner of such Securities holding through such Person (upon written request to the Company sent to an address specified in such notice), such other information as such Person or beneficial owner, as the case may be, reasonably may request in order to enable it to determine the federal income tax consequences to it resulting from the satisfaction and discharge of the Company’s indebtedness in respect of such Securities. Thereafter, the Company shall, within forty-five (45) days after the end of each calendar year, give to each Person who at any time during such calendar year was a Holder of such Securities a notice containing (X) such information as may be necessary to enable such Person to report its income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes with respect to such Securities or the assets held on deposit in respect thereof during such calendar year or the portion thereof during which such Person was a Holder of such Securities, as the case may be (such information to be set forth for such calendar year as a whole and for each month during such year) and (Y) a statement to the effect that the Company will provide (and the Company shall promptly so provide) to such Person, or any beneficial owner of such Securities holding through such Person (upon written request to the Company sent to an address specified in such notice), such other information as such Person or beneficial owner, as the case may be, reasonably may request in order to enable it to determine its income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes with respect to such Securities or such assets for such year or portion thereof, as the case may be. The obligation of the Company to provide or cause to be provided information for purposes of income tax reporting by any Person as described in the first two sentences of this paragraph shall be deemed to have been satisfied to the extent that the Company has provided or caused to be provided substantially comparable information pursuant to any requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (the “ Code ”) and United States Treasury regulations thereunder.

(ii)

Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (i) above, the Company shall not be required to give any notice specified in such subparagraph or to otherwise furnish any of the information contemplated therein if the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of such Securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the satisfaction and discharge of the Company’s indebtedness in respect of such Securities and such Holders will be subject to federal income taxation on

the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as if such satisfaction and discharge had not occurred.

(iii)

Anything in this clause (u) to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be required to give any notice specified in subparagraph (i) or to otherwise furnish the information contemplated therein or to deliver any Opinion of Counsel contemplated by subparagraph (ii) if the Company shall have caused Securities of Series No. 5 to be deemed to have been paid for purposes of the Indenture, as provided in Section 801 of the Original Indenture, but shall not have effected the satisfaction and discharge of its indebtedness in respect of such Securities pursuant to such Section.

The Securities of Series No. 5 shall be substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A and shall have such further terms as are set forth in such form.

ARTICLE TWO

Miscellaneous Provisions

This Supplemental Indenture No. 5 is a supplement to the Original Indenture. As previously supplemented and further supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture No. 5, the Original Indenture is in all respects ratified, approved and confirmed, and the Original Indenture, all previous supplements thereto and this Supplemental Indenture No. 5 shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

If any provision of this Supplemental Indenture No. 5 limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by any of Sections 310 to 317, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act through operation of Section 318(c), such imposed duties shall control.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture No. 5 to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.



		SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE
		COMPANY

	By:	/s/ Brian J. Van Abel
		Name: Brian J. Van Abel
		Its: Vice President and Treasurer

STATE OF MINNESOTA )

) ss.

COUNTY OF HENNEPIN )

This instrument was acknowledged before me on the 1 ^st day of August 2017, by Brian J. Van Abel, the Vice President and Treasurer of Southwestern Public Service Company, a New Mexico corporation, on behalf of said corporation.



		/s/ Sharon M. Quellhorst
		Name: Sharon M. Quellhorst
		Notary Public, State of Minnesota
		My commission expires: January 31, 2020

(Seal, if any)



		U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
		Trustee

	By:	/s/ Joshua A. Hahn
		Name: Joshua A. Hahn
		Its: Vice President

STATE OF MINNESOTA )

) ss.

COUNTY OF RAMSEY )

This instrument was acknowledged before me on the 1 ^st day of August 2017, by Joshua A. Hahn, a Vice President of U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking association, on behalf of said national banking association.



		/s/ Judy A. Galberth
		Name: Judy A. Galberth
		Notary Public, State of Minnesota
		My commission expires: January 31, 2021

(Seal, if any)

EXHIBIT A

FORM OF SECURITY

(See legend at the end of this Security for

restrictions on transfer)

SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

3.70% First Mortgage Bond, Series No. 5 due 2047



Original Interest Accrual Date:		[ ]
Interest Rate:		3.70% per annum
Stated Maturity:		August 15, 2047
Interest Payment Dates:		February 15 and August 15
Regular Record Dates:		February 1 and August 1
CUSIP No.:		845743 BR3

This Security is not a Discount Security

within the meaning of the within-mentioned Indenture

__________________________



Principal Amount		Registered No.

$

SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of New Mexico (herein called the “Company,” which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture referred to below), for value received, hereby promises to pay to

, or registered assigns, the principal sum of

Dollars on the Stated Maturity specified above, and to pay interest thereon from the Original Interest Accrual Date specified above or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually in arrears on the Interest Payment Dates specified above in each year, commencing February 15, 2018 and at Maturity, at the Interest Rate per annum specified above, until the principal hereof is paid or duly provided for. The interest so payable, and paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date specified above (whether or not a Business Day) next preceding such Interest Payment Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, interest payable at Maturity shall be paid to the Person to whom principal shall be paid. Except as otherwise provided in said Indenture, any such interest not so paid or duly provided for shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice of which shall be given to

Holders of Securities of this series not less than 15 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid in such other manner as permitted by the Indenture.

Payment of the principal of this Security and interest hereon at Maturity shall be made upon presentation of this Security at the Corporate Trust Office of U.S. Bank National Association in New York, New York, or at such other office or agency as may be designated for such purpose by the Company from time to time. Payment of interest on this Security (other than interest at Maturity) shall be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register, except that if such Person shall be a securities depositary, such payment may be made by such other means in lieu of check as shall be agreed upon by the Company, the Trustee and such Person. Payment of the principal of and interest on this Security, as aforesaid, shall be made in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.

This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Company (herein called the “Securities”), issued and issuable in one or more series under and equally secured by an Indenture, dated as of August 1, 2011 (such Indenture as originally executed and delivered and as supplemented or amended from time to time thereafter, together with any constituent instruments establishing the terms of particular Securities, being herein called the “Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association as trustee (herein called the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a description of the property mortgaged, pledged and held in trust, the nature and extent of the security and the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities thereunder and of the terms and conditions upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered and secured. The acceptance of this Security shall be deemed to constitute the consent and agreement by the Holder hereof to all of the terms and provisions of the Indenture. This Security is one of the series designated above.

If any Interest Payment Date, any Redemption Date or the Stated Maturity shall not be a Business Day (as hereinafter defined), payment of the amounts due on this Security on such date may be made on the next succeeding Business Day; and, if such payment is made or duly provided for on such Business Day, no interest shall accrue on such amounts for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, such Redemption Date or Stated Maturity, as the case may be, to such Business Day.

This Security shall be redeemable at the option of the Company at any time prior to February 15, 2047 (the “Par Call Date”), in whole or in part, at a “make whole” redemption price equal to the greater of (1) 100% of the principal amount of this Security being redeemed or (2) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on this Security, or portion hereof, being redeemed that would be due if this Security matured on the Par Call Date (excluding the portion of any such interest accrued to but excluding the Redemption Date), discounted to but excluding the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 15 basis points plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to but excluding the Redemption

Exhibit A-2

Date. This Security shall be redeemable at the option of the Company at any time on or after the Par Call Date, in whole or in part, at 100% of the principal amount of this Security being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to but excluding the Redemption Date.

“Comparable Treasury Issue” means the U.S. Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term of this Security (assuming, for this purpose, that this Security matured on the Par Call Date) that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to such remaining term of this Security.

“Comparable Treasury Price” means (1) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for the Redemption Date, after excluding the highest and lowest Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for the Redemption Date, or (2) if the Independent Investment Banker obtains fewer than four Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations.

“Independent Investment Banker” means KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. or Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, or their respective successors or, if such firms or successors are unwilling or unable to select the Comparable Treasury Issue, an independent investment banking institution of national standing appointed by the Trustee after consultation with the Company.

“Primary Treasury Dealer” means any primary U.S. Government securities dealer in the United States.

“Reference Treasury Dealer” means (1) Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, a Primary Treasury Dealer designated by each of KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. and U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. and any other Primary Treasury Dealer designated by, and not affiliated with KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. or Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, or their respective successors, provided, however, that if any of the foregoing or any of their respective designees ceases to be a Primary Treasury Dealer, the Company will appoint another Primary Treasury Dealer as a substitute and (2) any other Primary Treasury Dealer selected by the Company after consultation with an Independent Investment Banker.

“Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations” means, for any Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average, as determined by the Independent Investment Banker, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Independent Investment Banker by the Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date.

“Treasury Rate” means, for any Redemption Date, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, calculated using a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to

Exhibit A-3

the Comparable Treasury Price for such Redemption Date. The Treasury Rate will be calculated on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date.

If an Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, the principal of this Security may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the Trustee to enter into one or more supplemental indentures for the purpose of adding any provisions to, or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of, the Indenture with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of all series then Outstanding under the Indenture, considered as one class; provided, however, that if there shall be Securities of more than one series Outstanding under the Indenture and if a proposed supplemental indenture shall directly affect the rights of the Holders of Securities of one or more, but less than all, of such series, then the consent only of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series so directly affected, considered as one class, shall be required; and provided, further, that if the Securities of any series shall have been issued in more than one Tranche and if the proposed supplemental indenture shall directly affect the rights of the Holders of Securities of one or more, but less than all, of such Tranches, then the consent only of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all Tranches so directly affected, considered as one class, shall be required; and provided, further, that the Indenture permits the Trustee to enter into one or more supplemental indentures for limited purposes without the consent of any Holders of Securities. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Securities, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, this Security or any portion of the principal amount hereof will be deemed to have been paid for all purposes of the Indenture and to be no longer Outstanding thereunder, and, at the election of the Company, the Company’s entire indebtedness in respect thereof will be satisfied and discharged, if there has been irrevocably deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company), in trust, money in an amount which will be sufficient and/or Eligible Obligations, the principal of and interest on which when due, without regard to any reinvestment thereof, will provide moneys which, together with moneys so deposited, will be sufficient to pay when due the principal of and interest on this Security when due.

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Security Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the corporate office of U.S. Bank National Association in New York, New York, or such other office or agency as may be designated by the Company from time to time, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory

Exhibit A-4

to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Securities of this series of authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.

The Securities of this series are issuable only as registered Securities, without coupons, and in denominations of $1,000 and multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Securities of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same, and of like tenor upon surrender of the Security or Securities to be exchanged at the office of U.S. Bank National Association in New York, New York, or such other office or agency as may be designated by the Company from time to time.

No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

Prior to due presentment of this Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the absolute owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

The Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York (including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law or any successor to such statute), except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as then in effect or any successor statute shall be applicable and except to the extent that the law of any jurisdiction wherein any portion of the property mortgaged pursuant to the Indenture or any indenture supplemental thereto is located shall mandatorily govern the attachment, perfection, priority or enforcement of the lien of the Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto with respect to such portion of the mortgaged property.

As used herein, “Business Day” means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is not a day on which the offices of the Trustee in The City of New York, New York, or other city in which is located any office or agency maintained for the payment of principal or interest on this Security, are generally authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed. All other terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

As provided in the Indenture, no recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Securities, or any part thereof, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, or of the indebtedness represented thereby, or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement under the Indenture, against, and no personal liability whatsoever shall attach to, or be incurred by, any incorporator, shareholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or future of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation

Exhibit A-5

(either directly or through the Company or a predecessor or successor corporation), whether by virtue of any constitutional provision, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly agreed and understood that the Indenture and all the Securities are solely corporate obligations and that any such personal liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as part of the consideration for, the execution of the Indenture and the issuance of the Securities.

Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee or an Authenticating Agent by manual signature, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

Exhibit A-6

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed.



		SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE
		COMPANY

	By:
	Name:
	Its:

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

Dated:



		US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
		as Trustee

	By:
		Authorized Officer

Unless this certificate is presented by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company, a New York Corporation (“DTC”), to the Company or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange, or payment, and any certificate issued is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or in such other name as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC (and any payment is made to Cede & Co. or to such other entity as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL inasmuch as the registered owner hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein.

This Security may not be transferred or exchanged, nor may any purported transfer be registered, except (i) this Security may be transferred in whole, and appropriate registration of transfer effected, if such transfer is by Cede & Co., as nominee for DTC (the “Depositary”), to the Depositary, or by the Depositary to another nominee thereof, or by any nominee of the Depositary to any other nominee thereof, or by the Depositary or any nominee thereof to any successor securities depositary or any nominee thereof; and (ii) this Security may be exchanged for definitive Securities registered in the respective names of the beneficial holders hereof, and thereafter shall be transferable without restrictions

Exhibit A-7

if: (A) the Depositary, or any successor securities depositary, shall have notified the Company and the Trustee that it is unwilling or unable to continue to act as securities depositary with respect to the Securities and the Trustee shall not have been notified by the Company within ninety (90) days of the identity of a successor securities depositary with respect to the Securities; or (B) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee a Company Order to the effect that the Securities shall be so exchangeable on and after a date specified therein or (C) (1) an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (2) the Trustee shall have given notice of such Event of Default pursuant to Section 1002 of the Original Indenture and (3) there shall have been delivered to the Company and the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the interests of the beneficial owners of such Securities in respect thereof will be materially impaired unless such owners become Holders of definitive Securities.

FOR VALUE RECEIVED the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto



[please insert social security or other identifying number of assignee]


[please print or typewrite name and address of assignee]

the within Security of SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint , Attorney, to transfer said Security on the books of the within-mentioned Company, with full power of substitution in the premises.

Dated:

Notice: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the Security in every particular without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

Exhibit A-8

SCHEDULE A

In accordance with Texas Business and Commerce Code Section 261.011, a Notice of Utility Security Instrument Affecting Real Property was thereafter recorded in each Texas county in which any of the Mortgaged Property consisting of real property was located as of the Effective Date of such Indenture. The following table sets forth recording information relating to the recordation, in each of the specified Texas counties, of such Notice of Utility Security Instrument Affecting Real Property:



COUNTY	DATE	RECEPTION NUMBER	BOOK/FILM	PAGE

Andrews	8/3/11	112770	N/A	N/A
Armstrong	8/3/11	2011276	53	790
Bailey	8/3/11	201100016286	N/A	N/A
Borden	8/3/11	111124	N/A	N/A
Briscoe	8/3/11	11271	N/A	N/A
Carson	8/3/11	1100000862	N/A	N/A
Castro	8/3/11	59278	335	796
Cochran	8/3/11	13897	N/A	N/A
Cottle	8/3/11	2011-291	194	708
Crosby	8/3/11	235843	N/A	N/A
Dallam	8/2/11	164351	149	384
Deaf Smith	8/3/11	1493	N/A	N/A
Ector	8/3/11	201100011005	N/A	N/A
Floyd	8/3/11	110857	N/A	N/A
Foard	8/3/11	68419	247	71
Gaines	8/3/11	20113945	N/A	N/A
Garza	8/3/11	111229	N/A	N/A

Schedule A-1



COUNTY	DATE	RECEPTION NUMBER	BOOK/FILM	PAGE
Gray	8/3/11	019194	N/A	N/A
Hale	8/3/11	2011002855	N/A	N/A
Hansford	8/3/11	78454	382	511
Hartley	8/3/11	100087	N/A	N/A
Hemphill	8/3/11	059371	N/A	N/A
Hockley	8/3/11	00002996	N/A	N/A
Hutchinson	8/3/11	343845	1664	137
Lamb	8/3/11	1442	N/A	N/A
Lipscomb	8/3/11	N/A	502	782
Lubbock	8/3/11	2011026116	N/A	N/A
Lynn	8/3/11	20112298	N/A	N/A
Midland	8/3/11	15266	N/A	N/A
Moore	8/2/11	0176902	702	18
Motley	8/3/11	N/A	102	237
Ochiltree	8/3/11	95434	N/A	N/A
Oldham	8/3/11	11429	N/A	N/A
Parmer	8/3/11	51211	N/A	N/A
Potter	8/2/11	01200092	N/A	N/A
Randall	8/2/11	2011012189	N/A	N/A
Roberts	8/3/11	044416	N/A	N/A
Sherman	8/3/11	23551	297	756
Swisher	8/3/11	2011-0678	392	314
Terry	8/3/11	252458	N/A	N/A
Wheeler	8/3/11	N/A	640	738

Schedule A-2



COUNTY	DATE	RECEPTION NUMBER	BOOK/FILM	PAGE
Wilbarger	8/3/11	00112766	636	602
Yoakum	8/3/11	20111463	N/A	N/A

Schedule A-3

The Indenture dated as of August 1, 2011, granted by Southwestern Public Service Company to U.S. Bank National Association, Trustee, was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of New Mexico on August 2, 2011 under the Public Utility Act, receiving Public Utility Filing No. 599. Concurrently with such filing, a Uniform Commercial Code financing statement, to which a copy of such Indenture was appended as an exhibit, was filed in the Uniform Commercial Code records of the Secretary of State of the State of New Mexico on August 2, 2011 as UCC Filing No. 20110012866J.

In accordance with New Mexico Statutes Annotated, 1978, Section 62‑13‑11, a Notice of Filing of Indenture with New Mexico Secretary of State, to which a copy of such Indenture was appended as an exhibit, was thereafter recorded in each New Mexico county in which any of the Mortgaged Property consisting of real property was located as of the Effective Date of such Indenture. The following table sets forth recording information relating to the recordation, in each of the specified New Mexico counties, of such Notice of Filing of Indenture with New Mexico Secretary of State:



COUNTY	DATE	RECEPTION NUMBER	BOOK/FILM	PAGE

Chaves	8/3/11	340593	N/A	N/A
Curry	8/3/11	110005245	N/A	N/A
Eddy	8/3/11	1107879	N/A	N/A
Lea	8/3/11	33578	N/A	N/A
Quay	8/3/11	201108030006	N/A	N/A
Roosevelt	8/3/11	20112258	N/A	N/A

Schedule A-4

The following table sets forth recording information relating to the recordation, in each of the specified New Mexico counties, of a Notice of Filing of Supplemental Indenture with the New Mexico Secretary of State with respect to Supplemental Indenture No. 1:



COUNTY	DATE	RECEPTION NUMBER	BOOK/FILM	PAGE

Chaves	8/8/11	340698	N/A	N/A
Curry	8/8/11	110005352	N/A	N/A
Eddy	8/8/11	1107998	N/A	N/A
Lea	8/8/11	33734	N/A	N/A
Quay	8/8/11	201108080003	N/A	N/A
Roosevelt	8/8/11	20112316	N/A	N/A



COUNTY	DATE	RECEPTION NUMBER	BOOK/FILM	PAGE

Chaves	6/18/14	389726	N/A	N/A
Curry	6/18/14	157778190	N/A	N/A
Eddy	6/18/14	1824479	N/A	N/A
Lea	6/18/14	39612	N/A	N/A
Quay	6/18/14	20149266515	N/A	N/A
Roosevelt	6/18/14	20141875	N/A	N/A

Schedule A-5



COUNTY	DATE	RECEPTION NUMBER	BOOK/FILM	PAGE

Chaves	6/18/14	389727	N/A	N/A
Curry	6/18/14	157778191	N/A	N/A
Eddy	6/18/14	1824480	N/A	N/A
Lea	6/18/14	39613	N/A	N/A
Quay	6/18/14	20149266516	N/A	N/A
Roosevelt	6/18/14	20141876	N/A	N/A



COUNTY	DATE	RECEPTION NUMBER	BOOK/FILM	PAGE

Chaves	8/19/16	407833	N/A	N/A
Curry	8/19/16	189674134	N/A	N/A
Eddy	8/19/16	22399408	N/A	N/A
Lea	8/19/16	411897	N/A	N/A
Quay	8/19/16	20167359981	N/A	N/A
Roosevelt	8/19/16	20162074	N/A	N/A

Schedule A-6

SCHEDULE B



Date of Supplemental Indenture	Series of Bonds	Principal Amount Issued	Principal Amount Outstanding

August 3, 2011	1	$400,000,000	$400,000,000
June 1, 2014	2	$250,000,000	$250,000,000
June 1, 2014	3	$350,000,000	$350,000,000
August 1, 2016	4	$300,000,000	$300,000,000

Schedule B-1

SCHEDULE C

DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY

The property referred to in Granting Clause Second of the Indenture includes, without limitation, the Company’s right, title and interest in and to the Lands and Water Rights in the State of Texas and the State of New Mexico described below, together with all property related, used or appurtenant thereto of the kind and nature described in Granting Clause First (other than Excepted Property).

THE FOLLOWING PROPERTIES ARE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS


Lands .	The following described real property (the “ Lands ”) acquired by the Company in 2016 or acquired by the Company in prior years and not previously identified and described in the Indenture:

Hutchinson County, Texas



SPS Id. No.	Common Name	Deed into Southwestern Public Service Company Recorded at
1144	Pringle Oil Field	Document No. 00363027, Official Public Records, Hutchinson County, Texas executed by Don McLain Family Limited Partnership and dated December 1, 2016

as to the following property:

A 1.69± acre tract of land out of Section 1, Block M-24, T.C.R.R. Co. Survey, Hutchinson County, Texas, further being out of that certain tract of land described in that certain instrument recorded in Volume 1194, Page 322 as filed in the Office of the County Clerk of Hutchinson County, Texas, said tract having been surveyed on the ground by Furman Land Surveyors, Inc. and being described by metes and bounds as follows:

(Bearings and Distances are Grid UTM Coordinate System-Zone 14 North, NAD (1983) using GPS relative positioning techniques based on an OPUS on August 22, 2016.

Combined Scale Factor = 1.00009292)

COMMENCING at a ½ inch rod with aluminum cap found for the Northeast corner of said Section 1, from whence an ½ inch iron rod with aluminum cap found for the Southeast corner of said Section 1 bears S. 01° 35’ 01” W. (Base Line) 8283.25 feet;

Schedule C-1

THENCE S. 01° 35’ 01” W. 1789.97 feet along the East line of said Section 1 to a point being on the apparent North Right-of-Way line of County Road H, as it exists on the ground;

THENCE N. 88° 29’ 54” W. 138.00 feet along the apparent North Right-of-Way line of said County Road H to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “FURMAN RPLS” set for the Southeast and BEGINNING CORNER of this tract of land;

THENCE N. 88° 29’ 54” W. 372.03 feet along apparent North Right-of-Way line of said County Road H to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “FURMAN RPLS” set for the Southwest corner of this tract of land;

THENCE N. 01° 29’ 50” E. 210.02 feet to a ½ iron rod with cap stamped “FURMAN RPLS” set for the Northwest corner of this tract of land;

THENCE S. 88° 29’ 54” E. 208.94 feet to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “FURMAN RPLS” set for a jog corner of this tract of land;

THENCE S. 69° 58’ 55” E. 172.24 feet to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “FURMAN RPLS” set for the Northeast corner of this tract of land; and

THENCE S. 01° 35’ 01” W. 155.32 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING and containing 1.69 acres of land, more or less.

Schedule C-2

Lubbock County, Texas



SPS Id. No.	Common Name	Deeds into Southwestern Public Service Company Recorded at
5218	Wolfforth Interchange Parcel 2	Document Nos. 2016023241, 2016023242 and 2016023243, Official Public Records, Lubbock County, Texas executed respectively by Cynthia Noret Ware, Trustee of the Ed A. and Clara J. Noret Trust for Cynthia Noret Ware and dated May 28, 2016, by Linda Noret Smith, Trustee of the Ed A. and Clara J. Noret Trust for Linda Noret Smith and dated May 31, 2016, and by Nancy Noret Moore, Trustee of the Ed A. and Clara J. Noret Trust for Nancy Noret Moore and dated June 6, 2016

as to the following property:

A 8.85± acre tract of land out of Section 29, Block D-6, Lubbock County, Texas, also being a portion of that certain tract of land described in that certain instrument recorded in Volume 3525, Page 78 as filed in the Official Real Property Records of Lubbock County, Texas, said 8.85± acre tract of land having been surveyed on the ground by Furman Land Surveyors, Inc. on January 4, 2016 and being described by metes and bounds as follows:

(Bearings and Distances are Grid UTM Coordinate System-Zone 14N, NAD (1983) using GPS relative positioning techniques based on an OPUS on August 8 ^th , 2014. Combined Scale Factor = 1.0004431)

COMMENCING at a point being the Southwest corner of said Section 29;

THENCE N. 01° 31’ 45” E. 50.02 feet along the West line of said Section 29 to a ½ inch iron rod with cap found for the Southwest corner of said tract of land described in Volume 3525, Page 78;

THENCE S. 88° 28’ 15” E. (Base Line) 631.49 feet along the South line of said tract of land described in Volume 3525, Page 78, same being the North Right-of-Way line of F.M. Road 1585 as described in Volume 706,

Schedule C-3

Page 23 as filed in the Official Real Property Records of Lubbock County, Texas to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “FURMAN RPLS” set for the Southwest and BEGINNING CORNER of this tract of land;

THENCE N. 01° 31’ 45” E. 568.25 feet to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “FURMAN RPLS” set for the Northwest corner of this tract of Land:

THENCE S. 88° 28’ 15” E. 763.97 feet to a ½ inch iron rod found for the Northwest corner of that certain 6.000 acre tract of land described in that certain instrument recorded in Volume 1258, Page 105 as filed in the Official Real Property Records of Lubbock County, Texas, same being the Northeast corner of this tract of land;

THENCE S. 01° 31’ 45” W. 308.13 feet along the West line of said 4.000 acre tract of land to a 4 inch iron rod with cap stamped “FURMAN RPLS” set for the Northeast corner of that certain 1.10 acre tract of land described in that certain instrument recorded in Volume 1497, Page 137 as filed in the Official Real Property Records of Lubbock County, Texas;

THENCE N. 88° 28’ 15” W. 185.08 feet along the North line of said 1.10 acre tract of land to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “FURMAN RPLS” set for the Northwest corner of said 1.10 acre tract of land;

THENCE S. 01° 31’ 45” W. 260.12 feet along the West line of said 1.10 acre tract of Land to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “FURMAN RPLS” set for the Southwest corner of said 1.10 acre tract of land, same being a point in the North Right-of-Way line of F.M. Road 1585 from whence a ½ inch iron rod found for the Southeast corner of said 1.10 acre tract of land bears S. 88° 28’ 15” E. 185.08 feet; and

THENCE N. 88° 28’ 15” W. 578.89 feet along the South line of said tract of land described in Volume 3525, Page 78, same being the said North Right-of-Way line of F.M. Road 1585 to the POINT OF BEGINNING and

containing 8.85 acres of land, more or less.

Schedule C-4

Randall County, Texas



SPS Id. No.	Common Name	Deed into Southwestern Public Service Company Recorded in
5073	Arrowhead Substation Formerly identified as Randall County Transmission Line	Volume 1005, Page 256 et seq. , Official Public Records, Randall County, Texas executed by J. W. Bragg, W. J. Helm and Bill A. Gilliland and dated December 9, 1981

as to the following property:

A tract of land out of the East ½ of Section 148, Block 2, A. B. & M. Survey, Randall County, Texas, described by metes and bounds as follows:

BEGINNING at a point lying 37.0 feet West and 189.9 feet South of the Northeast corner of said Section 148,

THENCE N 89° 57’ 39” W, 421.7 feet to a point;

THENCE S 0° 02’ 20” W, 24.79 feet to a point;

THENCE S 89° 57’ 39” E, 417.5 feet to a point; and

THENCE N 0° 02’ 20” E, 24.79 feet to the place of beginning, containing 0.24 acres of land, more or less.

The North line of the above described tract of land is parallel and contiguous to the South line of a 1.5 acre (more or less) tract of land owned by Southwestern Public Service Company as shown in Volume 364, page 158 of Randall County Deed Records.



SPS Id. No.	Common Name	Deed into Southwestern Public Service Company Recorded at
5233	Outpost Substation	Document No. 2016023092, Official Public Records, Randall County, Texas executed by Mary Ann Lane Holton and dated December 21, 2016 and recorded December 21, 2016

Schedule C-5

as to the following property:

A 5.10± acre tract of land out of the Southeast Quarter of Section 176, Block 9, B.S. & F. RR. Co. Survey, Randall County, Texas, further being out of that certain tract of land described in that certain instrument recorded in Clerk’s File No. 2005009719 of the Official Public Records of Randall County, Texas, said property having been surveyed on the ground by Furman Land Surveyors, Inc. and being described by metes and bounds as follows:

(Bearings and Distances are Grid UTM Coordinate System-Zone 14 North, NAD (1983) using GPS relative positioning techniques based on an OPUS on July 29, 2016. Combined Scale Factor = 1.00038038)

COMMENCING at a ½ inch iron rod with aluminum cap found for the Southeast corner of said Section 176, same being the common corner of Sections 175, 176, 165 & 166, Block 9, from whence a ½ inch iron rod with aluminum cap found for the Northeast corner of said Section 176 bears N. 01° 53’ 20” E. (Base Line) 5404.95 feet;

THENCE N. 88° 14’ 01” W. 280.11 feet along the common line of said Sections 175 and 176 to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “FURMAN RPLS” set for the Southeast and BEGINNING CORNER of this tract of land;

THENCE N. 88° 14’ 01” W. 471.51 feet along the common line of said Sections 175 and 176, same being the North line of an Ingress-Egress Easement, surveyed simultaneously, to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “FURMAN RPLS” set for the Southwest corner of this tract of land;

THENCE N. 01° 53’ 20” E. 471.51 feet to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “FURMAN RPLS” set for the Northwest corner of this tract of land;

THENCE S. 88° 14’ 01” E. 471.51 feet to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “FURMAN RPLS” set for the Northeast corner of this tract of land; and

THENCE S. 01° 53’ 20” W. 471.51 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING and containing 5.10 acres of land, more or less.

CORRECTIONS: The following are corrections to the description of the Mortgaged Properties:

Schedule C-6

Bailey County, Texas



SPS Id. No. (RS ID No.)	Common Name	Deed into Southwestern Public Service Company Recorded at
7 (12-03)	Bailey County Pump	Volume 72, Page 16 et seq., Deed Records, Bailey County, Texas, executed by City of Lubbock, dated November 4, 1957 and recorded December 9, 1957.

The Indenture describes the Mortgaged Property identified as SPS 7 and referred to by Common Name as “Bailey County Pump” by reference to the recording information of the Deed into Southwestern Public Service Company. The execution date and recording date of the Deed was erroneously stated in the Indenture. The correct dates are stated in the above chart and the Indenture is hereby corrected.

Potter County, Texas



SPS Id. No. (RS Id. No.)	Common Name	Deed into Southwestern Public Service Company Recorded at
882 (3732)	Lawrence Park	Volume 967, Page 232 et seq. , Deed Records, Potter County, Texas, executed by John Hazlewood and W. A. McCarty, dated December 13, 1963 and recorded December 23, 1963, having been platted by Plat dated April 26, 1993.

The Indenture describes the Mortgaged Property identified as SPS 882 and referred to by Common Name as the “Lawrence Park” substation by a metes and bounds description. This property had been platted prior to execution of the Indenture and its description is corrected to refer to it by its platted description as follows:

Schedule C-7

Lot 2, Block 33, Lawrence Park No. 23, according to map or plat thereof recorded in Volume 1030, Page 135, Deed Records, Potter County, Texas.



SPS Id. No. (RS Id. No.)	Common Name	Deed into Southwestern Public Service Company Recorded at
915	Amarillo (Westcliff) Substation	Volume 1307, Page 414 et seq. , Deed Records, Potter County, Texas , having been replatted by Plat dated April 26, 1993

The Indenture describes the Mortgaged Property identified as SPS 915 and referred to by Common Name as the “Amarillo (Westcliff) Substation” by platted lot description. This property had been replatted prior to execution of the Indenture and its description is corrected to refer to its platted description as follows:

Tract No. 8, Westcliff Park Unit No. 19, an addition to the City of Amarillo, according to map or plat thereof recorded in Volume 2324, Page 459, Deed Records, Potter County, Texas.



SPS Id. No. (RS Id. No.)	Common Name	Deeds into Southwestern Public Service Company Recorded at
924 (3701)	Amarillo East Plant	Volume 147, Page 298 et seq. , Deed Records, Potter County, Texas, executed by J. Ben Russell and wife, Mary S. Russell, dated October 5, 1926 and recorded October 19, 1926; Volume 160, Page 263 et seq. , Deed Records, Potter County, Texas, executed by Southwestern Public Service Company, dated January 25, 1927 and recorded February 21, 1927 ; Volume 175, Page 559 et seq. , Deed Records, Potter County, Texas, executed by General Public Utilities Company, dated October 14, 1927 and recorded October 22, 1927; Volume 260, Page 503 et seq. ,

Schedule C-8



		Deed Records, Potter County, Texas, executed by Southwestern Power Company, dated November 8, 1935 and recorded November 25, 1935; and Volume 317, Page 329 et seq. , Deed Records, Potter County, Texas, executed by General Public Utilities, Inc., dated September 17, 1942 and recorded September 17, 1942 and platted June 29, 1989

The Indenture describes the Mortgaged Property identified as SPS 924 which has the Common Name of “Amarillo East Plant” by the metes and bounds description contained in the deeds into Southwestern Public Service Company. This property had been platted after its acquisition by Southwestern Public Service Company prior to execution of the Indenture and its description is corrected to be as follows:

Lot 2, Block 1, S.P.S. Northeast Subdivision Unit # 1, an addition to the City of Amarillo, according to the plat thereof recorded in Volume 2026, Page 833 et seq. of the Deed Records, Potter County, Texas.



SPS Id. No. (RS Id. No.)	Common Name	Deed into Southwestern Public Service Company Recorded at
940 and 5122 (3715) and (3722)	Pole Yard Parking and Service Building Northeast called Potter County Service Center	Volume 315, Page 299 et seq. , Deed Records, Potter County, Texas dated May 6, 1942 and recorded June 16, 1942, and Volume 554, Page 119 et seq. , Deed Records, Potter County, Texas, dated March 16, 1951 and recorded in July 11, 1951, and platted June 29, 1989

The Indenture describes the Mortgaged Property identified as SPS 940 and 5122 which has the Common Name of “Potter County Service Center” by reference to the recorded plat of the subdivision containing these SPS properties. The reference to the plat omitted in error a portion

Schedule C-9

of the subdivision name and does not refer to the recording information of the plat. The description is corrected to read as follows:

Lot 1, Block 1, S.P.S. Northeast Subdivision Unit # 1, an addition to the City of Amarillo, according to the plat thereof recorded in Volume 2026, Page 833 et seq. of the Deed Records, Potter County, Texas.

Randall County, Texas



SPS Id. No. (RS Id. No.)	Common Name	Deed into Southwestern Public Service Company Recorded at
5127 (3809)	Service Center Southwest	Volume 334, Page 216 et seq. , Deed Records, Randall County, Texas, executed by Quien Sabe Investment Company, dated May 20, 1964 and recorded June 4, 1964 conveying a 21.550 acre tract to the Company, save and except the 7.206 acre tract conveyed by the Company to Bell Street Development, Ltd. at Document No. 2002-14962, Official Public Records, Randall County, Texas, dated August 1, 2002, and recorded August 5, 2002.

The Indenture describes the Mortgaged Property identified as SPS 5127 which has the Common Name of “Service Center Southwest” by reference to the recorded plat of the subdivision containing this SPS property. The plat referenced in the Indenture was only as to a portion of the property acquired by the Company by the referenced deed into the Company. The description of SPS 5127 is corrected as follows to include additional property owned by the Company that is a part of SPS 5127:

Lot 1, Block 1, SPS Addition Unit No. 1, an addition to the City of Amarillo, according to the plat thereof recorded in Volume 665 Page 401, Official Real Property Records, Randall County, Texas, recorded December 5, 1978; and

Lot 2, Block 1 SPS Addition Unit No. 2, an addition to the City of Amarillo, according to the plat thereof recorded in Volume 824 Page 377 et seq. , Official Real Property Records, Randall County, Texas, recorded June 30, 1983, save and except the southwesterly 1.061 acres;

Schedule C-10

Lot 2-A, Block 1 SPS Addition Unit No. 3, an addition to the City of Amarillo, according to the plat thereof recorded in the Official Real Property Records, Randall County, Texas; and

The remaining portion of the 21.550 acre tract acquired by Southwestern Public Service Company not included in the foregoing referenced platted lots save and except the 7.01 acre tract conveyed to Bell Street Development, Ltd.

[continued on following page]

Schedule C-11

THE FOLLOWING PROPERTIES ARE IN THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO

The following described real estate in Lea County, New Mexico:

Bensing Substation

SPS Id No: 5230

A tract of land being out of the Southeast Quarter of Section 18, Township 17 South, Range 38 East, N.M.P.M., Lea County, State of New Mexico, further being described in that certain instrument recorded in Book 1342 Page 344 as filed in the Office of the County Clerk of Lea County, New Mexico said tract of land having been surveyed on the ground by Furman Land Surveyors, Inc. and being described by metes and bounds as follows:

(Bearings and Distances are Grid UTM Coordinate System-Zone 13N, NAD (1983) using GPS relative positioning techniques based on an OPUS on October 14, 2015. Combined Scale Factor= 0.99978304)

COMMENCING at a spike nail found and accepted for the Southeast corner of Section 18, Township 17 South, Range 38 East, N.M.P.M., from whence a 5/8 inch iron rod found and accepted for the Northeast corner of said Section 18 bears N.01"01'10"W. (Base Line) 5289.08 feet, and from whence a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped "NM-15079 TX-5204" found and accepted for the Southwest corner of the Southeast Quarter of said Section 18 bears S.88"52'08"W. 2648.23 feet;

THENCE N.01"01'10"W. 25.00 feet along the East line of said Section 18 to a point;

THENCE S.88"52'08"W. 33.00 feet to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “PS 15701" set for the Southeast and BEGINNING corner of this tract of land, same being a point in the proposed West right-of-way line of Bensing Road, same being a point in the proposed North right-of-way line of Lawrence Road;

THENCE S.88"52'08"W. 465.98 feet along said proposed North right-of-way line of Lawrence Road to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped "PS 15701" set for the Southwest corner of this tract of land;

THENCE N.01°01'10"W. 505.49 feet to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “PS 15701" set for the Northwest corner of this tract of land;

THENCE N.88°52'08"E. 465.98 feet to a ½ inch iron rod with cap stamped “PS 15701" set for the Northeast corner of this tract of land, same being a point in said proposed West right-of-way line of Bensing Road;

THENCE S.0°01'10"E. 505.49 feet along said West right-of-way line of Bensing Road, to the POINT OF BEGINNING, as shown on that certain Survey filed 8-31-16, in Book 2, Page 411, Lea County Records, Lea County, New Mexico.

Schedule C-12

The following described real estate in Roosevelt County, New Mexico:

South Portales Parcel 2

SPS Id No: 5231

The following described real estate in Roosevelt County, New Mexico:

Greyhound Substation

SPS Id No: 5232

Schedule C-13

Exhibit 5.01



			Faegre Baker Daniels LLP 2200 Wells Fargo Center q 90 South Seventh Street Minneapolis q Minnesota 55402-3901 Phone +1 612 766 7000 Fax +1 612 766 1600
August 9, 2017

Southwestern Public Service Company

790 South Buchanan Street

Amarillo, Texas 79101

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel for Southwestern Public Service Company, a New Mexico corporation (the “Company”), in connection with (i) the preparation of a Registration Statement on Form S‑3 (the “Registration Statement”) of the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and (ii) the Prospectus Supplement dated August 2, 2017 and the Prospectus dated April 27, 2015 relating to the offer and sale by the Company under the Registration Statement of $450,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 3.70% First Mortgage Bonds, Series No. 5 due 2047 (the “Mortgage Bonds”). The Mortgage Bonds are to be issued under the Indenture dated as of August 1, 2011 entered into between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by Supplemental Indenture No. 5 dated as of August 1, 2017 (such Indenture and such Supplemental Indenture referred to herein collectively as the “Indenture”), and sold pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement dated August 2, 2017, by and among the Company and KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (the “Underwriting Agreement”).

We have examined the Registration Statement and have reviewed and relied upon such other documents, records, certifications and instruments as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion.

Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:


1.	the Indenture, to the extent New York law is applicable thereto, is a valid and binding obligation of the Company with respect to the issuance of the Mortgage Bonds under the Registration Statement; and


2.	upon the due authentication by the Trustee of the Mortgage Bonds pursuant to the Indenture, the Mortgage Bonds, to the extent New York law is applicable thereto, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company;

Southwestern Public Service Company
August 9, 2017
Page 2

except, that, to the extent they relate to the validity, binding effect or enforceability of provisions of the Indenture or the Mortgage Bonds, each of the foregoing opinions is limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, assignment for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent conveyance, voidable transaction or preference, receivership and other laws of general application affecting creditors’ rights and laws affecting the rights of mortgagees and other secured parties generally and state laws which affect the enforcement of certain remedial provisions, and (ii) general principles of equity, including without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith, fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies, whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law. We express no opinion as to the enforceability or effect in the Indenture or the Mortgage Bonds of (i) any provision that authorizes one party to act as attorney-in-fact for another party; (ii) any provision waiving legal or equitable defenses or other procedural, judicial or substantive rights; or (iii) any provision that unreasonably restricts the ability of the Company to transfer any property.

The foregoing opinions assume that (a) the Trustee has satisfied those legal requirements that are applicable to it to the extent necessary to make the Indenture enforceable against it, (b) the Trustee and the holders of the Mortgage Bonds issued under the Indenture have complied with all legal requirements pertaining to their status as such status relates to their rights to enforce the Indenture and the Mortgage Bonds against the Company, (c) the Company has obtained all governmental and third party authorizations, consents and approvals and has made all filings and registrations required to enable it to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under, and consummate the transactions contemplated by, the Indenture and the Mortgage Bonds, including without limitation an order of the New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission authorizing and approving the issuance and sale of the Mortgage Bonds, and such execution, delivery, performance and consummation does not, and at all relevant times will not, violate or conflict with any law, rule, regulation, order, decree, judgment, instrument or agreement binding upon the Company or its properties, and (d) the Mortgage Bonds will be issued upon receipt by the Company of the consideration therefor specified in the Underwriting Agreement.

The opinions herein expressed are limited to the specific issues addressed and to documents and laws existing on the date hereof. By rendering our opinion, we do not undertake to advise you with respect to any other matter or of any change in such documents and laws or in the interpretation thereof which may occur after the date hereof.

Our opinions set forth herein are limited to the laws of the State of New York of general application. We have assumed that the choice of law to govern the Indenture and the Mortgage Bonds will be upheld. As to all matters governed by the laws of the State of New Mexico, we have relied, with the Company’s consent, upon the opinion of even date herewith addressed to the Company by Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, local counsel to the Company, and we

Southwestern Public Service Company

August 9, 2017

Page 3

have made no independent examination of the laws of such State. All assumptions, qualifications and exceptions in such opinion are incorporated herein by reference.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8‑K of the Company filed with the Commission and thereby incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

Very truly yours,



FAEGRE BAKER DANIELS LLP



By	/s/ Sonia A. Shewchuk
	Sonia A. Shewchuk

Exhibit 5.02

August 9, 2017

Southwestern Public Service Company

790 South Buchanan

Amarillo, Texas 79101

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as local counsel for Southwestern Public Service Company, a New Mexico corporation (the “Company”), in connection with (i) the preparation of a Registration Statement on Form S‑3 (the “Registration Statement”) of the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and (ii) the Prospectus Supplement dated August 2, 2017 and the Prospectus dated April 27, 2015 relating to the offer and sale by the Company under the Registration Statement of $450,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 3.70% First Mortgage Bonds, Series No. 5 due 2047 (the “Mortgage Bonds”). The Mortgage Bonds are to be issued under the Indenture dated as of August 1, 2011 entered into between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by Supplemental Indenture No. 1 dated as of August 1, 2011, Supplemental Indenture No. 2 dated as of June 1, 2014, Supplemental Indenture No. 3 dated as of June 1, 2014, Supplemental Indenture No. 4 dated as of August 1, 2016, and Supplemental Indenture No. 5 dated as of August 1, 2017 (such Indenture and such Supplemental Indenture referred to herein collectively as the “Indenture”), and sold pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement dated August 2, 2017, by and among the Company, KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as the Underwriters named therein (the “Underwriting Agreement”).

Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:


1.	The Company is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of New Mexico;


2.	The Company has the corporate power and authority to execute and deliver the Indenture and the Mortgage Bonds, to perform its obligations thereunder and to consummate the transactions contemplated thereby;


3.	The execution and delivery by the Company of the Indenture and the Mortgage Bonds, the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated thereby do not violate the Company’s articles of incorporation or bylaws;

201 Third Street NW, Suite 1700

Albuquerque, NM 87102-4386

main 505.244.0770

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP

bnfs.com

Southwestern Public Service Company

August 9, 2017

Page 2


4.	The Indenture, to the extent New Mexico law is applicable thereto, is a valid and binding obligation of the Company with respect to the issuance of the Mortgage Bonds under the Registration Statement; and


5.	Upon the due authentication by the Trustee of the Mortgage Bonds pursuant to the Indenture, the Mortgage Bonds, to the extent New Mexico law is applicable thereto, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company;

except, that, to the extent they relate to the validity, binding effect or enforceability of provisions of the Indenture or the Mortgage Bonds, each of the foregoing opinions is limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent conveyance, voidable preference, receivership and other laws of general application affecting creditors’ rights and laws affecting the rights of mortgagees and other secured parties generally and state laws which affect the enforcement of certain remedial provisions, and (ii) general principles of equity, including without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith, fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies, whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law. We express no opinion as to the enforceability or effect in the Indenture or the Mortgage Bonds of (x) any provision that authorizes one party to act as attorney-in-fact for another party; (y) any provision waiving legal or equitable defenses or other procedural, judicial or substantive rights; or (z) any provision that unreasonably restricts the ability of the Company to transfer any property.

The foregoing opinions assume that (a) the Trustee has satisfied those legal requirements that are applicable to it to the extent necessary to make the Indenture enforceable against it, (b) the Trustee and the holders of the Mortgage Bonds issued under the Indenture have complied with all legal requirements pertaining to their status as such status relates to their rights to enforce the Indenture and the Mortgage Bonds against the Company, (c) except for the law of New Mexico, as to which an opinion is given as provided above, the terms of the Mortgage Bonds do not violate and are not void or voidable under, any applicable law (including without limitation as a matter of public policy), (d) the Company has obtained all governmental and third party authorizations, consents and approvals and has made all filings and registrations required to enable it to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under, and consummate the transactions contemplated by, the Indenture and the Mortgage Bonds, including without limitation an order of the New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission authorizing and approving the issuance and sale of the Mortgage Bonds, and such execution, delivery, performance and consummation does not, and at all relevant times will not, violate or conflict with any law, rule, regulation, order, decree, judgment, instrument or agreement binding upon the Company or its properties, and (e) the Mortgage Bonds will be issued upon receipt by the Company of the consideration therefor specified in the Underwriting Agreement.

We have further assumed that each document submitted to us for review is accurate and complete, each such document that is an original is authentic, each such document that is a copy conforms to an authentic original, all signatures on each such document are genuine, and each document has not been amended, modified or supplemented by any other agreement or understanding, written or oral.

Our opinions set forth herein are limited to the laws of the State of New Mexico of general application. We have assumed that the choice of law to govern the Indenture and the Mortgage Bonds will be upheld.

Southwestern Public Service Company

August 9, 2017

Page 3

This opinion may be relied upon by the firms of Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, P.C. and Faegre Baker Daniels LLP for the purposes of rendering their opinions that are exhibits to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K referred to below.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed with the Commission and thereby incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

Very truly yours,



/s/ Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP

Exhibit 5.03



			William H. Locke, Jr. Board Certified Real Estate Law Commercial, Residential and Farm and Ranch Texas Board of Legal Specialization 512.480.5736 512.480.5837 (fax) blocke@gdhm.com MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 98 Austin, TX 78767-9998



	A Professional Corporation

August 9, 2017

Southwestern Public Service Company

790 South Buchanan Street

Amarillo, TX 79101

Re: $450,000,000 in First Mortgage Bonds, Series No. 5 due 2047

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as local counsel for Southwestern Public Service Company, a New Mexico corporation (the “ Company ”), in connection with (i) the preparation of a Registration Statement on Form S‑3 (the “ Registration Statement ”) of the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), and (ii) the proposed transactions described in the Prospectus Supplement dated August 2, 2017 (the “ Prospectus Supplement ”) and the Prospectus dated April 27, 2015 (the “ Prospectus ”) relating to the offer and sale by the Company under the Registration Statement of $450,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 3.70% First Mortgage Bonds, Series No. 5 due 2047 (the “ Mortgage Bonds ”). The Mortgage Bonds are to be issued under the Indenture dated as of August 1, 2011 entered into between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “ Trustee ”), as supplemented by Supplemental Indenture No. 1 dated as of August 3, 2011, Supplemental Indenture No. 2 dated as of June 1, 2014, Supplemental Indenture No. 3 dated as of June 1, 2014, Supplemental Indenture No. 4 dated as of August 1, 2016 and Supplemental Indenture No. 5 dated as of August 1, 2017 (such Indenture and such Supplemental Indentures referred to herein collectively as the “ Indenture ”), and sold pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement dated August 2, 2017, by and among the Company, KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC acting as the several Underwriters named therein (the “ Underwriting Agreement ”).

We have examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Indenture and the Mortgage Bonds and have reviewed and relied upon such other documents, records, certifications and instruments as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion.

Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

1. the Indenture, to the extent Texas law is applicable thereto, is a valid and binding obligation of the Company with respect to the issuance of the Mortgage Bonds under the Registration Statement; and

2. upon the due authentication by the Trustee of the Mortgage Bonds pursuant to the Indenture, the Mortgage Bonds, to the extent Texas law is applicable thereto, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company;

except, that, to the extent they relate to the validity, binding effect or enforceability of provisions of the Indenture or the Mortgage Bonds, each of the foregoing opinions is limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent conveyance, voidable preference, receivership and other laws of general application affecting creditors’ rights and laws affecting the rights of mortgagees and other secured parties generally and state laws which affect the enforcement of certain remedial provisions, and (ii) general principles of equity, including without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith, fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies, whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law. We express no opinion as to the enforceability or effect in the Indenture or the Mortgage Bonds of (i) any provision that authorizes one party to act as attorney-in-fact for another party; (ii) any

401 Congress Ave. Suite 2200 Austin, Texas 78701 512.480.5600 www.gdhm.com

Page 2

provision waiving legal or equitable defenses or other procedural, judicial or substantive rights; or (iii) any provision that unreasonably restricts the ability of the Company to transfer any property.

The foregoing opinions assume that (a) the Trustee shall have satisfied those legal requirements that are applicable to it to the extent necessary to make the Indenture enforceable against it, (b) the Trustee and the holders of the Mortgage Bonds issued under the Indenture shall have complied with all legal requirements pertaining to their status as such status relates to their rights to enforce the Indenture and Mortgage Bonds against the Company, (c) the Company has obtained all governmental and third party authorizations, consents and approvals and has made all filings and registrations required to enable it to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under, and consummate the transactions contemplated by, the Indenture and the Mortgage Bonds, including without limitation an order of the New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission authorizing and approving the issuance and sale of the Mortgage Bonds, and such execution, delivery, performance and consummation does not, and at all relevant times will not, violate or conflict with any law, rule, regulation, order, decree, judgment, instrument or agreement binding upon the Company or its properties, and (d) the Mortgage Bonds will be issued upon receipt by the Company of the consideration therefor specified in the Underwriting Agreement.

Our opinions set forth herein are limited to the laws of the State of Texas of general application. We have assumed that the choice of law to govern the Indenture and the Mortgage Bonds will be upheld. As to all matters governed by the laws of the State of New Mexico, we have relied, with the Company’s consent, upon the opinion of even date herewith addressed to the Company by Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, local counsel to the Company, and we have made no independent examination of the laws of such State. All assumptions, qualifications and exceptions in such opinion and incorporated herein by reference. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8‑K of the Company filed with the Commission and thereby incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

Yours very truly,



/s/ Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody
GRAVES, DOUGHERTY, HEARON & MOODY
A Professional Corporation

401 Congress Ave. Suite 2200 Austin, Texas 78701 512.480.5600 www.gdhm.com

Exhibit 12.01

SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICES CO.

STATEMENT OF COMPUTATION OF

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

(amounts in thousands, except ratio)



	Six Months Ended June 30, 2017		Year Ended Dec. 31
	Six Months Ended June 30, 2017		2016		2015		2014		2013		2012
Earnings, as defined:
Pretax income from operations	$	94,858	$	234,271	$	202,288	$	205,054	$	148,938	$	168,598
Add: Fixed charges	56,425		112,793		109,073		105,946		104,534		103,760
Total earnings, as defined	$	151,283	$	347,064	$	311,361	$	311,000	$	253,472	$	272,358
Fixed charges, as defined:
Interest charges	$	44,684	$	88,671	$	84,040	$	80,218	$	77,866	$	69,074
Interest component of leases	11,741		24,122		25,033		25,728		26,668		34,686
Total fixed charges, as defined	$	56,425	$	112,793	$	109,073	$	105,946	$	104,534	$	103,760
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges	2.7		3.1		2.9		2.9		2.4		2.6