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) April 18, 2000

              Exact name of registrant as specified in its
              charter, State or other jurisdiction of incorporation
              or organization, Address of principal executive
Commission    offices and Registrant's Telephone Number,          IRS Employer
File Number   including area code                             Identification No.
-----------   ------------------------------                  ------------------

1-12927       NEW CENTURY ENERGIES, INC.                            84-1334327
              (a Delaware Corporation)
              1225 17th Street
              Denver, Colorado  80202
              Telephone (303) 571-7511


1-3789        SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY                   75-0575400
              (a New Mexico Corporation)
              Tyler at Sixth
              Amarillo, Texas  79101
              Telephone (303) 571-7511






<PAGE>


      This combined Form 8-K is  separately  filed by New Century  Energies Inc.
("NCE") and Southwestern Public Service Company ("SPS").  Information  contained
herein  relating to any  individual  company is filed by such company on its own
behalf.  Each registrant  makes  representations  only as to itself and makes no
other  representations  whatsoever  as to  information  relating  to  the  other
registrant.

Item 5.  OTHER EVENTS

      On April 18, 2000,  SPS entered into a  Stipulation  with the staff of the
Public Utility Commission of Texas ("PUCT") and other significant parties, which
was filed with the PUCT, and among other things,  specifically  addresses  SPS's
implementation  plans  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  Texas  deregulation
legislation enacted in June 1999, Senate Bill 7 ("SB-7").  Such Stipulation,  as
summarized  in the  attached  press  release  (filed  as  Exhibit  99 in Item 7.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS),  provides for the SPS implementation of full
retail  customer  choice in its Texas service region and provides for the future
divestiture  of certain SPS generation  assets.  The  Stipulation  also resolves
certain  issues related to the proposed  merger between NCE and Northern  States
Power Company  ("NSP") (the "NCE/NSP  Merger") and concludes that such merger is
in the public  interest.  The  NCE/NSP  Merger is  expected  to be  complete  in
mid-2000.  The  NCE/NSP  Merger is  expected  to be a  tax-free  stock-for-stock
exchange for NCE shareholders and to be accounted for as a pooling-of-interests.
Additional  information  regarding these matters is discussed in the NCE and SPS
1999  Annual  Report on Form 10-K.  The  discussion  below  addresses  important
financial  implications  and issues related to this  Stipulation,  pending final
regulatory approval.

      SB-7 requires SPS to unbundle its business  activities into three separate
legal  entities no later than  January 1, 2002.  The three  entities are a power
generation  company,  a regulated  transmission and  distribution  company and a
retail electric provider.  Prior to this legal separation,  SPS will be required
to address  the  provisions  limiting or  otherwise  affecting  such  activities
contained in its first mortgage bond indenture and in connection therewith,  SPS
is planning some or all of the following:  open market  purchases  and/or tender
offer and/or monetary defeasance of all outstanding first mortgage bonds.

      Overall, SB-7's objective is to introduce full retail competition into the
Texas  electric  utility  industry.  SB-7 limits the market  share that a single
generation provider can control to 20% of the generating capacity within a power
region.  The establishment of a qualified power region with multiple  generation
suppliers is required under SB-7 in order to implement full retail  competition.
For SPS to comply with this qualified  power region  requirement,  approximately
2,843 megawatts of existing power generation  assets or capacity must be sold to
third party non-affiliates of NCE and NSP by January 1, 2006.  Additionally,  as
part of the Stipulation, SPS has agreed to divest 1,750 megawatts, at a minimum,
by January 1, 2002. Accordingly, management believes that this divestiture is in
response to the legal  requirements of SB-7 and,  believes that this divestiture
can occur consistent with the pooling-of-interests  accounting requirements. The
Stipulation provides if the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"),  through
issuance of a final non-appealable  order or other final  non-appealable ruling,
determines that the divestiture  would be a pooling  violation,  the divestiture
would be  scheduled  consistent  with  meeting  the SEC's   pooling-of-interests
requirements.

      SPS prepares its  financial  statements in  accordance  with  Statement of
Financial  Accounting  Standards No. 71,  "Accounting for the Effects of Certain
Types of Regulation", ("SFAS 71"), as amended (see the SPS 1999 Annual Report on
Form 10-K). The Emerging Issues Task Force of the Financial Accounting Standards
Board  reached a consensus  in Issue No. 97-4,  "Deregulation  of the Pricing of
Electricity"  ("EITF 97-4")  indicating  that when  deregulatory  legislation is
passed or when a rate order  (whichever  is  necessary  to effect  change in the
jurisdiction)  that contains  sufficient  detail for an enterprise to reasonably
determine  how the  transition  plan will  affect the  separable  portion of its
business  whose pricing is being  deregulated is issued,  the enterprise  should
stop applying SFAS 71 to that  separable  portion of its business.  Deregulation
legislation  has been enacted in Texas and New Mexico and now a  settlement  has
been  achieved  with all  intervenors  in Texas.  Absent final  approvals of the
Stipulation  and such  transition  plans by the PUCT and the New  Mexico  Public
Regulation  Commission,   significant  uncertainties  continue  to  exist  which
preclude a reasonable  determination  of the impacts of the deregulation of SPS'
generation  business  and  discontinuing  the  application  of  SFAS  71 to that
operation.  SPS will  discontinue  the  application  of SFAS 71  related  to the
generation  portion of its business  when the  provisions of EITF 97-4 have been
met, which may be later in 2000. The accounting for the  discontinuation  of the
application  of SFAS 71 could  include the write-off of the  generation  related
regulatory assets and an impairment of other assets resulting from deregulation.


<PAGE>

      Additionally,  there may be other  significant  financial  implications of
implementing SB-7 and electric  restructuring in New Mexico.  These implications
include,  but are not limited to, the refinancing of securities,  investments in
information  technology,  establishing an independent  operation of the electric
transmission   systems,   implementing   the  procedures  to  govern   affiliate
transactions,  the  pricing of  unbundled  energy  services  and the  regulatory
recovery of incurred costs related to these issues. SPS is diligently working to
satisfy the conflicting  legislative  and regulatory  requirements in developing
its transition plans.

      The resolution of these matters may have a significant financial impact on
the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of SPS and NCE.

Item 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

      Exhibit 99  Press release dated April 19, 2000



                           FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

The above discussions include "forward looking statements" within the meaning of
Section 27A of the  Securities  Act of 1933 and  Section  21E of the  Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. Investors and prospective investors are cautioned that the
forward-looking  statements  contained  herein  with  respect  to the  revenues,
earnings,  capital  expenditures,   resolution  and  impact  of  litigation  and
regulatory matters, competitive performance, or other prospects for the business
of New Century  Energies,  Inc., and/or  Southwestern  Public Service Company or
their  affiliated  companies,  including any and all underlying  assumptions and
other  statements  that are other than  statements  of historical  fact,  may be
influenced  by factors  that  could  cause  actual  outcomes  and  results to be
materially  different than projected.  Such factors include, but are not limited
to, the effects of weather,  future  economic  conditions,  the  performance  of
generating  units, fuel prices and  availability,  regulatory  decisions and the
effects  of changes  in state and  federal  laws,  the pace of  deregulation  of
domestic  retail natural gas and electricity  markets,  the timing and extent of
change  in  commodity   prices  for  all  forms  of  energy,   capital  spending
requirements,  the  evolution of  competition,  earnings  retention and dividend
payout policies,  changes in accounting  standards,  the  implementation  of the
stipulation,  the consummation of the proposed merger with Northern States Power
Company and/or other factors. From time to time, New Century Energies,  Inc. and
Southwestern  Public  Service  Company may publish or otherwise  make  available
forward-looking  statements.  All such  subsequent  forward-looking  statements,
whether  written or oral and whether made by or on behalf of each  company,  are
also expressly qualified by these cautionary statements.



<PAGE>


                                                                     Exhibit 99
                               JOINT NEWS RELEASE



New Century Energies, Inc.                     Contact:
Denver, Colorado                               Media Relations (806) 378-2116
                                               Investor Relations (303) 294-2588

For Release April 19, 2000                                        Four pages
                                                                  ----------

                               Reference:     SPS to Lower Electricity Prices,
                                                Agrees To Sell Five Power Plants

                                      `Transition to Competition Plan' Announced

      AMARILLO,  TEXAS,  April 19, 2000 --  Southwestern  Public Service Company
today  announced  it  will  reduce  future  electricity  prices  to  most of its
customers  in  Texas  by 7  percent,  and,  beginning  in  2001,  will  sell  to
competitors at least two-thirds of its electric-power generating capacity.
      The changes will allow SPS  customers to join the majority of the state in
choosing  among  competing  power  suppliers as early as Jan. 1, 2002,  said SPS
President David Wilks.
      Texas law enacted in 1999 requires that for a region to be  "qualified" to
be opened to electric competition,  no one supplier may own more than 20 percent
of the  generation  available to serve the region.  SPS owns about 70 percent of
the generation in its region.  The Public  Utility  Commission of Texas required
SPS to address its  "transition  to  competition"  plan as part of the  approval
process  for  the  proposed  merger  between  SPS-parent  New  Century  Energies
(NYSE:NCE) and Northern States Power (NYSE:NSP).
      A settlement  agreement on the merger and on the  transition  plan will be
filed with the  commission  today.  The  agreement is among SPS, the  commission
staff, the Office of


                                     (more)


<PAGE>


      (SPS to lower prices, sell five power plants; April 19, 2000; page 2 of 4)

Public Utility Counsel,  the Texas Industrial  Electric  Consumers and the Texas
Attorney General's office. SPS also reached related agreements with the Canadian
River  Municipal  Water  Authority  and  with  its  rural  electric  cooperative
wholesale  customers  in Texas.  A PUCT open  meeting on the merger  application
likely will be scheduled in May.
      The price reduction will be in two phases, Wilks said. Upon Texas approval
of the merger,  $4.8  million in annual  merger-related  savings  will be passed
through  to Texas  customers,  resulting  in an  average  1 percent  base  price
decrease. The bill for a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month
will decline by $0.47, from $64.24 to $63.77.
      When full  competition  begins - likely,  Jan. 1, 2002 - there will be an
additional,  legislatively  mandated $12.4 million,  or 6 percent,  reduction in
prices for service to residential and small business  customers.  The additional
monthly savings for the 1,000-kWh residential customer will be $3.83.
      Afterward,  SPS's rates for residential and small-business  customers will
not increase for at least five years, as required by Texas law.
      A  primary  goal of the  transition  plan is to  bring  new  providers  of
electric  service into the area,  Wilks said. The agreement  describes  sales of
power plant required  before the SPS-served  region in Texas would be designated
by the commission as "qualified" to allow customer choice.
      The  plan  anticipates  the  sale  of at  least  2,864  megawatts  of  SPS
generating  capacity  to meet the  customer-choice  requirements.  The amount is
about  64  percent  of the  4,472  megawatts  of  capacity  owned by SPS and its
affiliates at 13 plants in Texas and New Mexico.  The agreement  also states SPS
may sell 3,191  megawatts,  or 71 percent,  of its capacity,  if the  commission
deems the  larger  amount  necessary  to  "qualify"  the  SPS-served  region for
competition among suppliers.  SPS and its affiliates will retain either 1,608 or
1,281 megawatts of capacity in Texas and New Mexico, fueled primarily by natural
gas.



                                     (more)


<PAGE>

      (SPS to lower prices, sell five power plants; April 19, 2000; page 3 of 4)

The agreement  says SPS will sell the following  plants to meet  customer-choice
requirements:
  -  Tolk Station, coal-fueled,  1,080 megawatts,  Muleshoe, Texas
  -  Harrington Station, coal-fueled,  1,066 megawatts, Amarillo, Texas
  -  Jones Station,  natural  gas-fueled,  486 megawatts,  Lubbock,  Texas
  -  Moore County plant, natural gas-fueled, 48 megawatts,  Dumas, Texas, and
  -  one of SPS's two natural gas-fueled power plants near Hobbs, New Mexico:
     either 184-megawatt Maddox Station (to meet the 2,864  MW-sold  threshold),
     or 511-megawatt Cunningham Station (to meet the 3,191  MW-sold  threshold).
     Wilks said he expects  some or all of the plants to be sold before the end
     of 2001.

The company  has  engaged  Lehman   Brothers  as  financial   adviser  on  the
divestiture.
     No matter who the owners of the sold power plants may be, the plants
involved will continue to operate and to serve customers in the region, Wilks
said.
      "The plants aren't going anywhere," he said. "We know these facilities are
important to electric  customers in our entire  region,  and  especially  to the
communities  in which they are  located.  In fact,  SPS will be  contracting  to
purchase  power  from the plants  from  their new owners to meet our  continuing
obligation to serve customers and to ensure reliability.
      "Agreeing  to  part  with  any of our  power  plants  and  their  crews  -
important,  valued  employees  -- is the most  difficult  decision we have made,
ever," Wilks said. "We designed and engineered most of our plants in-house. They
are among the most efficient in the nation. The plants and their crews have been
a source of great pride at our company for generations. I believe there is not a
finer group of plant employees anywhere."
      SPS will work to assure a smooth  transition  for  employees  affected  by
sales of the plants, Wilks said.
      "In October we filed with the Texas  commission a proposed plan for a much
smaller  sale and a delay in bringing  full  customer  choice to the SPS service
area," he said.  "We recognize,  however,  that retail  electric  competition is
becoming a reality and is

                                     (more)


<PAGE>

      (SPS to lower prices, sell five power plants; April 19, 2000; page 4 of 4)

something  expected by  customers  not only in Texas,  but in states  throughout
America.  Utilities  nationwide are being required to sell generation.  About 17
percent of the fossil-fueled  generation  capacity in the United States has been
sold or listed for sale in the past four years."
      Wilks  added,  "Despite  the  required  sale of some SPS  generation,  New
Century  Energies  will remain a major  generator of power and is  continuing to
expand its generating capabilities in other regions of the country."
      New Century Energies and Northern States Power now have gained approval or
reached  settlement  agreements in all states  requiring  merger  approval.  The
merger also has been approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
      ABOUT NCE:
      New Century  Energies was formed by the 1997 merger of Public  Service Co.
of Colorado and Southwestern  Public Service Company.  NCE serves  approximately
1.6 million  electric  customers and more than one million natural gas customers
in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma.
      The Denver-based  holding company has operating revenues of more than $3.3
billion. Through its subsidiaries,  it provides a full range of energy expertise
including the generation,  transmission and distribution of electricity, natural
gas  distribution,  energy  trading  and  marketing,  engineering  services  and
non-utility  generation projects. The company also owns a 50 percent interest in
Yorkshire  Electricity,  which  serves  more  than two  million  customers  in a
northwest portion of the United Kingdom.
      NCE plans to merge with  Minneapolis-based  Northern States Power, to form
Xcel Energy, in the summer of 2000.

                                       ###



<PAGE>



                                   SIGNATURES


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



                                         NEW CENTURY ENERGIES, INC.


                                             /s/Richard C. Kelly
                                          -----------------------------
                                              Richard C. Kelly
                                          Executive Vice President and
                                           Chief Financial Officer






                                    SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY


                                             /s/Brian P. Jackson
                                          -----------------------------
                                              Brian P. Jackson
                                     Senior Vice President, Finance and
                                          Administrative Services,
                                     Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer



Dated:   April 19, 2000
[{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "description": "NCE&SPS 8K SENATE BILL 7 FILED 4/19/00", "secsgml_size_bytes": 19460}]
[{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "NEW CENTURY ENERGIES INC", "cik": "0001004858", "assigned-sic": "4931", "irs-number": "841334327", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-12927", "film-number": "604480"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1225 17TH ST", "city": "DENVER", "state": "CO", "zip": "80202", "phone": "3035717511"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "1225 17TH ST", "city": "DENVER", "state": "CO", "zip": "80202"}}, {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE CO", "cik": "0000092521", "assigned-sic": "4911", "irs-number": "750575400", "state-of-incorporation": "NM", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-03789", "film-number": "604481"}, "business-address": {"street1": "SPS TOWER", "street2": "TYLER AT SIXTH ST", "city": "AMARILLO", "state": "TX", "zip": "79101", "phone": "8063782121"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "PO BOX 1261", "city": "AMARILLO", "state": "TX", "zip": "79170"}}]
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) April 18, 2000

              Exact name of registrant as specified in its
              charter, State or other jurisdiction of incorporation
              or organization, Address of principal executive
Commission    offices and Registrant's Telephone Number,          IRS Employer
File Number   including area code                             Identification No.
-----------   ------------------------------                  ------------------

1-12927       NEW CENTURY ENERGIES, INC.                            84-1334327
              (a Delaware Corporation)
              1225 17th Street
              Denver, Colorado  80202
              Telephone (303) 571-7511

1-3789        SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY                   75-0575400
              (a New Mexico Corporation)
              Tyler at Sixth
              Amarillo, Texas  79101
              Telephone (303) 571-7511
This combined Form 8-K is  separately  filed by New Century  Energies Inc.
("NCE") and Southwestern Public Service Company ("SPS").  Information  contained
herein  relating to any  individual  company is filed by such company on its own
behalf.  Each registrant  makes  representations  only as to itself and makes no
other  representations  whatsoever  as to  information  relating  to  the  other
registrant.

Item 5.  OTHER EVENTS

      On April 18, 2000,  SPS entered into a  Stipulation  with the staff of the
Public Utility Commission of Texas ("PUCT") and other significant parties, which
was filed with the PUCT, and among other things,  specifically  addresses  SPS's
implementation  plans  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  Texas  deregulation
legislation enacted in June 1999, Senate Bill 7 ("SB-7").  Such Stipulation,  as
summarized  in the  attached  press  release  (filed  as  Exhibit  99 in Item 7.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS),  provides for the SPS implementation of full
retail  customer  choice in its Texas service region and provides for the future
divestiture  of certain SPS generation  assets.  The  Stipulation  also resolves
certain  issues related to the proposed  merger between NCE and Northern  States
Power Company  ("NSP") (the "NCE/NSP  Merger") and concludes that such merger is
in the public  interest.  The  NCE/NSP  Merger is  expected  to be  complete  in
mid-2000.  The  NCE/NSP  Merger is  expected  to be a  tax-free  stock-for-stock
exchange for NCE shareholders and to be accounted for as a pooling-of-interests.
Additional  information  regarding these matters is discussed in the NCE and SPS
1999  Annual  Report on Form 10-K.  The  discussion  below  addresses  important
financial  implications  and issues related to this  Stipulation,  pending final
regulatory approval.

      SB-7 requires SPS to unbundle its business  activities into three separate
legal  entities no later than  January 1, 2002.  The three  entities are a power
generation  company,  a regulated  transmission and  distribution  company and a
retail electric provider.  Prior to this legal separation,  SPS will be required
to address  the  provisions  limiting or  otherwise  affecting  such  activities
contained in its first mortgage bond indenture and in connection therewith,  SPS
is planning some or all of the following:  open market  purchases  and/or tender
offer and/or monetary defeasance of all outstanding first mortgage bonds.

      Overall, SB-7's objective is to introduce full retail competition into the
Texas  electric  utility  industry.  SB-7 limits the market  share that a single
generation provider can control to 20% of the generating capacity within a power
region.  The establishment of a qualified power region with multiple  generation
suppliers is required under SB-7 in order to implement full retail  competition.
For SPS to comply with this qualified  power region  requirement,  approximately
2,843 megawatts of existing power generation  assets or capacity must be sold to
third party non-affiliates of NCE and NSP by January 1, 2006.  Additionally,  as
part of the Stipulation, SPS has agreed to divest 1,750 megawatts, at a minimum,
by January 1, 2002. Accordingly, management believes that this divestiture is in
response to the legal  requirements of SB-7 and,  believes that this divestiture
can occur consistent with the pooling-of-interests  accounting requirements. The
Stipulation provides if the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"),  through
issuance of a final non-appealable  order or other final  non-appealable ruling,
determines that the divestiture  would be a pooling  violation,  the divestiture
would be  scheduled  consistent  with  meeting  the SEC's   pooling-of-interests
requirements.

      SPS prepares its  financial  statements in  accordance  with  Statement of
Financial  Accounting  Standards No. 71,  "Accounting for the Effects of Certain
Types of Regulation", ("SFAS 71"), as amended (see the SPS 1999 Annual Report on
Form 10-K). The Emerging Issues Task Force of the Financial Accounting Standards
Board  reached a consensus  in Issue No. 97-4,  "Deregulation  of the Pricing of
Electricity"  ("EITF 97-4")  indicating  that when  deregulatory  legislation is
passed or when a rate order  (whichever  is  necessary  to effect  change in the
jurisdiction)  that contains  sufficient  detail for an enterprise to reasonably
determine  how the  transition  plan will  affect the  separable  portion of its
business  whose pricing is being  deregulated is issued,  the enterprise  should
stop applying SFAS 71 to that  separable  portion of its business.  Deregulation
legislation  has been enacted in Texas and New Mexico and now a  settlement  has
been  achieved  with all  intervenors  in Texas.  Absent final  approvals of the
Stipulation  and such  transition  plans by the PUCT and the New  Mexico  Public
Regulation  Commission,   significant  uncertainties  continue  to  exist  which
preclude a reasonable  determination  of the impacts of the deregulation of SPS'
generation  business  and  discontinuing  the  application  of  SFAS  71 to that
operation.  SPS will  discontinue  the  application  of SFAS 71  related  to the
generation  portion of its business  when the  provisions of EITF 97-4 have been
met, which may be later in 2000. The accounting for the  discontinuation  of the
application  of SFAS 71 could  include the write-off of the  generation  related
regulatory assets and an impairment of other assets resulting from deregulation.
Additionally,  there may be other  significant  financial  implications of
implementing SB-7 and electric  restructuring in New Mexico.  These implications
include,  but are not limited to, the refinancing of securities,  investments in
information  technology,  establishing an independent  operation of the electric
transmission   systems,   implementing   the  procedures  to  govern   affiliate
transactions,  the  pricing of  unbundled  energy  services  and the  regulatory
recovery of incurred costs related to these issues. SPS is diligently working to
satisfy the conflicting  legislative  and regulatory  requirements in developing
its transition plans.

      The resolution of these matters may have a significant financial impact on
the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of SPS and NCE.

Item 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

      Exhibit 99  Press release dated April 19, 2000

                           FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

The above discussions include "forward looking statements" within the meaning of
Section 27A of the  Securities  Act of 1933 and  Section  21E of the  Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. Investors and prospective investors are cautioned that the
forward-looking  statements  contained  herein  with  respect  to the  revenues,
earnings,  capital  expenditures,   resolution  and  impact  of  litigation  and
regulatory matters, competitive performance, or other prospects for the business
of New Century  Energies,  Inc., and/or  Southwestern  Public Service Company or
their  affiliated  companies,  including any and all underlying  assumptions and
other  statements  that are other than  statements  of historical  fact,  may be
influenced  by factors  that  could  cause  actual  outcomes  and  results to be
materially  different than projected.  Such factors include, but are not limited
to, the effects of weather,  future  economic  conditions,  the  performance  of
generating  units, fuel prices and  availability,  regulatory  decisions and the
effects  of changes  in state and  federal  laws,  the pace of  deregulation  of
domestic  retail natural gas and electricity  markets,  the timing and extent of
change  in  commodity   prices  for  all  forms  of  energy,   capital  spending
requirements,  the  evolution of  competition,  earnings  retention and dividend
payout policies,  changes in accounting  standards,  the  implementation  of the
stipulation,  the consummation of the proposed merger with Northern States Power
Company and/or other factors. From time to time, New Century Energies,  Inc. and
Southwestern  Public  Service  Company may publish or otherwise  make  available
forward-looking  statements.  All such  subsequent  forward-looking  statements,
whether  written or oral and whether made by or on behalf of each  company,  are
also expressly qualified by these cautionary statements.
Exhibit 99
                               JOINT NEWS RELEASE

New Century Energies, Inc.                     Contact:
Denver, Colorado                               Media Relations (806) 378-2116
                                               Investor Relations (303) 294-2588

For Release April 19, 2000                                        Four pages
                                                                  ----------

                               Reference:     SPS to Lower Electricity Prices,
                                                Agrees To Sell Five Power Plants

                                      `Transition to Competition Plan' Announced

      AMARILLO,  TEXAS,  April 19, 2000 --  Southwestern  Public Service Company
today  announced  it  will  reduce  future  electricity  prices  to  most of its
customers  in  Texas  by 7  percent,  and,  beginning  in  2001,  will  sell  to
competitors at least two-thirds of its electric-power generating capacity.
      The changes will allow SPS  customers to join the majority of the state in
choosing  among  competing  power  suppliers as early as Jan. 1, 2002,  said SPS
President David Wilks.
      Texas law enacted in 1999 requires that for a region to be  "qualified" to
be opened to electric competition,  no one supplier may own more than 20 percent
of the  generation  available to serve the region.  SPS owns about 70 percent of
the generation in its region.  The Public  Utility  Commission of Texas required
SPS to address its  "transition  to  competition"  plan as part of the  approval
process  for  the  proposed  merger  between  SPS-parent  New  Century  Energies
(NYSE:NCE) and Northern States Power (NYSE:NSP).
      A settlement  agreement on the merger and on the  transition  plan will be
filed with the  commission  today.  The  agreement is among SPS, the  commission
staff, the Office of

                                     (more)
(SPS to lower prices, sell five power plants; April 19, 2000; page 2 of 4)

Public Utility Counsel,  the Texas Industrial  Electric  Consumers and the Texas
Attorney General's office. SPS also reached related agreements with the Canadian
River  Municipal  Water  Authority  and  with  its  rural  electric  cooperative
wholesale  customers  in Texas.  A PUCT open  meeting on the merger  application
likely will be scheduled in May.
      The price reduction will be in two phases, Wilks said. Upon Texas approval
of the merger,  $4.8  million in annual  merger-related  savings  will be passed
through  to Texas  customers,  resulting  in an  average  1 percent  base  price
decrease. The bill for a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month
will decline by $0.47, from $64.24 to $63.77.
      When full  competition  begins - likely,  Jan. 1, 2002 - there will be an
additional,  legislatively  mandated $12.4 million,  or 6 percent,  reduction in
prices for service to residential and small business  customers.  The additional
monthly savings for the 1,000-kWh residential customer will be $3.83.
      Afterward,  SPS's rates for residential and small-business  customers will
not increase for at least five years, as required by Texas law.
      A  primary  goal of the  transition  plan is to  bring  new  providers  of
electric  service into the area,  Wilks said. The agreement  describes  sales of
power plant required  before the SPS-served  region in Texas would be designated
by the commission as "qualified" to allow customer choice.
      The  plan  anticipates  the  sale  of at  least  2,864  megawatts  of  SPS
generating  capacity  to meet the  customer-choice  requirements.  The amount is
about  64  percent  of the  4,472  megawatts  of  capacity  owned by SPS and its
affiliates at 13 plants in Texas and New Mexico.  The agreement  also states SPS
may sell 3,191  megawatts,  or 71 percent,  of its capacity,  if the  commission
deems the  larger  amount  necessary  to  "qualify"  the  SPS-served  region for
competition among suppliers.  SPS and its affiliates will retain either 1,608 or
1,281 megawatts of capacity in Texas and New Mexico, fueled primarily by natural
gas.

                                     (more)
(SPS to lower prices, sell five power plants; April 19, 2000; page 3 of 4)

The agreement  says SPS will sell the following  plants to meet  customer-choice
requirements:
  -  Tolk Station, coal-fueled,  1,080 megawatts,  Muleshoe, Texas
  -  Harrington Station, coal-fueled,  1,066 megawatts, Amarillo, Texas
  -  Jones Station,  natural  gas-fueled,  486 megawatts,  Lubbock,  Texas
  -  Moore County plant, natural gas-fueled, 48 megawatts,  Dumas, Texas, and
  -  one of SPS's two natural gas-fueled power plants near Hobbs, New Mexico:
     either 184-megawatt Maddox Station (to meet the 2,864  MW-sold  threshold),
     or 511-megawatt Cunningham Station (to meet the 3,191  MW-sold  threshold).
     Wilks said he expects  some or all of the plants to be sold before the end
     of 2001.

The company  has  engaged  Lehman   Brothers  as  financial   adviser  on  the
divestiture.
     No matter who the owners of the sold power plants may be, the plants
involved will continue to operate and to serve customers in the region, Wilks
said.
      "The plants aren't going anywhere," he said. "We know these facilities are
important to electric  customers in our entire  region,  and  especially  to the
communities  in which they are  located.  In fact,  SPS will be  contracting  to
purchase  power  from the plants  from  their new owners to meet our  continuing
obligation to serve customers and to ensure reliability.
      "Agreeing  to  part  with  any of our  power  plants  and  their  crews  -
important,  valued  employees  -- is the most  difficult  decision we have made,
ever," Wilks said. "We designed and engineered most of our plants in-house. They
are among the most efficient in the nation. The plants and their crews have been
a source of great pride at our company for generations. I believe there is not a
finer group of plant employees anywhere."
      SPS will work to assure a smooth  transition  for  employees  affected  by
sales of the plants, Wilks said.
      "In October we filed with the Texas  commission a proposed plan for a much
smaller  sale and a delay in bringing  full  customer  choice to the SPS service
area," he said.  "We recognize,  however,  that retail  electric  competition is
becoming a reality and is

                                     (more)
(SPS to lower prices, sell five power plants; April 19, 2000; page 4 of 4)

something  expected by  customers  not only in Texas,  but in states  throughout
America.  Utilities  nationwide are being required to sell generation.  About 17
percent of the fossil-fueled  generation  capacity in the United States has been
sold or listed for sale in the past four years."
      Wilks  added,  "Despite  the  required  sale of some SPS  generation,  New
Century  Energies  will remain a major  generator of power and is  continuing to
expand its generating capabilities in other regions of the country."
      New Century Energies and Northern States Power now have gained approval or
reached  settlement  agreements in all states  requiring  merger  approval.  The
merger also has been approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
      ABOUT NCE:
      New Century  Energies was formed by the 1997 merger of Public  Service Co.
of Colorado and Southwestern  Public Service Company.  NCE serves  approximately
1.6 million  electric  customers and more than one million natural gas customers
in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma.
      The Denver-based  holding company has operating revenues of more than $3.3
billion. Through its subsidiaries,  it provides a full range of energy expertise
including the generation,  transmission and distribution of electricity, natural
gas  distribution,  energy  trading  and  marketing,  engineering  services  and
non-utility  generation projects. The company also owns a 50 percent interest in
Yorkshire  Electricity,  which  serves  more  than two  million  customers  in a
northwest portion of the United Kingdom.
      NCE plans to merge with  Minneapolis-based  Northern States Power, to form
Xcel Energy, in the summer of 2000.

                                       ###
SIGNATURES

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

                                         NEW CENTURY ENERGIES, INC.

                                             /s/Richard C. Kelly
                                          -----------------------------
                                              Richard C. Kelly
                                          Executive Vice President and
                                           Chief Financial Officer

                                    SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

                                             /s/Brian P. Jackson
                                          -----------------------------
                                              Brian P. Jackson
                                     Senior Vice President, Finance and
                                          Administrative Services,
                                     Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Dated:   April 19, 2000