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Income Taxes (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] |
Interest Payable related to Unrecognized Tax Benefits [Table Text Block] | Interest payable related to unrecognized tax benefits:
(Millions of Dollars) |  | 2018 |  | 2017 |  | 2016
Payable for interest related to unrecognized tax benefits at Jan. 1 |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | (3 | ) |  | $ | — |
Interest income (expense) related to unrecognized tax benefits |  | — |  |  | 3 |  |  | (3 | )
Payable for interest related to unrecognized tax benefits at Dec. 31 |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | (3 | )
Summary of Statute of Limitations Applicable to Open Tax Years [Table Text Block] | Statute of limitations applicable to Xcel Energy’s consolidated federal income tax returns expire as follows:
Tax Year(s) |  | Expiration
2009 - 2014 |  | October 2019
2015 |  | September 2019
2016 |  | September 2020
2017 |  | September 2021
Earliest Open Tax Years Subject to Examination by State Taxing Authorities in the Major Operating Jurisdictions | Xcel Energy files consolidated state tax returns based on income in its major operating jurisdictions and various other state income-based tax returns. As of Dec. 31, 2018, Xcel Energy’s earliest open tax years (subject to examination by state taxing authorities in its major operating jurisdictions) were as follows:
State |  | Year
Colorado |  | 2009
Minnesota |  | 2009
Texas |  | 2010
Wisconsin |  | 2014
• | In the fourth quarter of 2018, the Minnesota audit of tax years 2010 - 2014 concluded with no material adjustments.
• | In the third quarter of 2018, the Wisconsin audit of tax years 2012 - 2013 concluded with no material adjustments. In the fourth quarter of 2018, Wisconsin began an audit of tax years 2014 - 2016. No material adjustments have been proposed.
• | No other state income tax audits were in progress as of Dec. 31, 2018.
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits | Unrecognized tax benefits - permanent vs. temporary:
(Millions of Dollars) |  | Dec. 31, 2018 |  | Dec. 31, 2017
Unrecognized tax benefit — Permanent tax positions |  | $ | 28 |  |  | $ | 20 |
Unrecognized tax benefit — Temporary tax positions |  | 9 |  |  | 19 |
Total unrecognized tax benefit |  | $ | 37 |  |  | $ | 39 |
Changes in unrecognized tax benefits:
(Millions of Dollars) |  | 2018 |  | 2017 |  | 2016
Balance at Jan. 1 |  | $ | 39 |  |  | $ | 134 |  |  | $ | 121 |
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year |  | 9 |  |  | 6 |  |  | 8 |
Reductions based on tax positions related to the current year |  | (4 | ) |  | (4 | ) |  | — |
Additions for tax positions of prior years |  | 2 |  |  | 15 |  |  | 10 |
Reductions for tax positions of prior years |  | (4 | ) |  | (105 | ) |  | (5 | )
Settlements with taxing authorities |  | (5 | ) |  | (7 | ) |  | — |
Balance at Dec. 31 |  | $ | 37 |  |  | $ | 39 |  |  | $ | 134 |
Tax Benefits Associated with NOL and Tax Credit Carryforwards | Unrecognized tax benefits were reduced by tax benefits associated with NOL and tax credit carryforwards:
(Millions of Dollars) |  | Dec. 31, 2018 |  | Dec. 31, 2017
NOL and tax credit carryforwards |  | $ | (35 | ) |  | $ | (31 | )
NOL and Tax Credit Carryforwards | NOL amounts represent the tax loss that is carried forward and tax credits represent the deferred tax asset. NOL and tax credit carryforwards as of Dec. 31 were as follows:
(Millions of Dollars) |  | 2018 |  | 2017
Federal NOL carryforward |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 1,072 |
Federal tax credit carryforwards |  | 553 |  |  | 517 |
Valuation allowances for federal credit carryforwards |  | (5 | ) |  | (5 | )
State NOL carryforwards |  | 1,104 |  |  | 1,592 |
Valuation allowances for state NOL carryforwards |  | (50 | ) |  | (55 | )
State tax credit carryforwards, net of federal detriment (a) |  | 89 |  |  | 90 |
Valuation allowances for state credit carryforwards, net of federal benefit (b) |  | (69 | ) |  | (68 | )
(a) | State tax credit carryforwards are net of federal detriment of $24 million as of Dec. 31, 2018 and 2017.
(b) | Valuation allowances for state tax credit carryforwards were net of federal benefit of $18 million as of Dec. 31, 2018 and 2017.
Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation | Total income tax expense from operations differs from the amount computed by applying the statutory federal income tax rate to income before income tax expense. Effective income tax rate for years ended Dec. 31:
| 2018 |  | 2017 (a) |  | 2016 (a)
Federal statutory rate | 21.0 | % |  | 35.0 | % |  | 35.0 | %
State income tax on pretax income, net of federal tax effect | 5.0 |  |  | 4.1 |  |  | 4.1 |
Increases (decreases) in tax from: |  |  |  |  |
Regulatory differences - ARAM (b) | (5.8 | ) |  | (0.1 | ) |  | (0.1 | )
Wind production tax credits recognized | (5.2 | ) |  | (4.7 | ) |  | (3.4 | )
Other tax credits recognized, net of federal income tax expense | (2.0 | ) |  | (1.0 | ) |  | (0.8 | )
Regulatory differences - other utility plant items | (1.0 | ) |  | (0.7 | ) |  | (0.5 | )
Regulatory differences - Deferral of ARAM (c) | 0.6 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Change in unrecognized tax benefits | 0.4 |  |  | (0.6 | ) |  | 0.2 |
Tax reform | — |  |  | 1.4 |  |  | — |
Other, net | (0.4 | ) |  | (1.3 | ) |  | (0.4 | )
Effective income tax rate | 12.6 | % |  | 32.1 | % |  | 34.1 | %
(a) | Prior periods have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.
(b) | ARAM is a method to flow back excess deferred taxes to customers.
(c) | ARAM has been deferred when regulatory treatment has not been established. As Xcel Energy received direction from its regulatory commissions regarding the return of excess deferred taxes to customers, the ARAM deferral was reversed. This resulted in a reduction to tax expense with a corresponding reduction to revenue.
Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) | Components of income tax expense for years ended Dec. 31:
(Millions of Dollars) |  | 2018 |  | 2017 |  | 2016
Current federal tax (benefit) expense |  | $ | (34 | ) |  | $ | 1 |  |  | $ | (3 | )
Current state tax expense (benefit) |  | 8 |  |  | (11 | ) |  | (4 | )
Current change in unrecognized tax (benefit) expense |  | (6 | ) |  | (83 | ) |  | 6 |
Deferred federal tax expense |  | 122 |  |  | 460 |  |  | 477 |
Deferred state tax expense |  | 85 |  |  | 107 |  |  | 112 |
Deferred change in unrecognized tax expense (benefit) |  | 11 |  |  | 73 |  |  | (2 | )
Deferred investment tax credits |  | (5 | ) |  | (5 | ) |  | (5 | )
Total income tax expense |  | $ | 181 |  |  | $ | 542 |  |  | $ | 581 |
Components of deferred income tax expense as of Dec. 31:
(Millions of Dollars) |  | 2018 |  | 2017 |  | 2016
Deferred tax expense (benefit) excluding items below |  | $ | 320 |  |  | $ | (2,939 | ) |  | $ | 631 |
Amortization and adjustments to deferred income taxes on income tax regulatory assets and liabilities |  | (102 | ) |  | 3,583 |  |  | (45 | )
Tax (expense) benefit allocated to other comprehensive income, net of adoption of ASU No. 2018-02, and other |  | — |  |  | (4 | ) |  | 1 |
Deferred tax expense |  | $ | 218 |  |  | $ | 640 |  |  | $ | 587 |
Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities | Components of net deferred tax liability as of Dec. 31:
(Millions of Dollars) |  | 2018 |  | 2017
Deferred tax liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |
Differences between book and tax bases of property |  | $ | 5,082 |  |  | $ | 4,960 |
Regulatory assets |  | 599 |  |  | 565 |
Pension expense |  | 178 |  |  | 199 |
Other |  | 64 |  |  | 57 |
Total deferred tax liabilities |  | $ | 5,923 |  |  | $ | 5,781 |
Deferred tax assets: |  |  |  |  |  |
Regulatory liabilities |  | $ | 879 |  |  | $ | 886 |
Tax credit carryforward |  | 642 |  |  | 607 |
NOL carryforward |  | 51 |  |  | 293 |
NOL and tax credit valuation allowances |  | (79 | ) |  | (77 | )
Other employee benefits |  | 124 |  |  | 132 |
Deferred ITCs |  | 16 |  |  | 17 |
Rate refund |  | 60 |  |  | 10 |
Other |  | 65 |  |  | 68 |
Total deferred tax assets |  | $ | 1,758 |  |  | $ | 1,936 |
Net deferred tax liability |  | $ | 4,165 |  |  | $ | 3,845 |

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