Xcel Energy building in downtown Amarillo recognized for sustainability

AMARILLO, TX (KFDA) - Xcel Energy’s regional headquarters building in downtown Amarillo has been awarded a Silver LEED structure, recognizing the building’s design and efficiency.

The U.S. Green Building Council awarded the Xcel building in downtown Amarillo, located at 790 Buchanan Street, a LEED Silver status for meeting efficiency and sustainability standards.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, is a certification granted to a building or number of different building systems based on a point system. Based on the points a building can score, LEED buildings are classified as either basic, silver, gold or platinum.

“For years we have encouraged our customers to use energy more efficiently and to be good stewards of our environment, and we believe we should model those behaviors in the way we generate electricity and in how we carry out our daily work,” said David Hudson, President of Xcel Energy.

Xcel’s seven-story headquarters, built by Opus Design Build LLC, features an architectural precast concrete and glass exterior with more than 18 percent of the construction materials sourced from recycled materials.

The structure is also equipped with energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, energy-saving LED lighting and low-flow plumbing fixtures that use half as much water as systems found in older buildings.

“The new 790 Buchanan building meets our high standards of efficiency and hopefully will set a trend in how buildings are constructed across the region,” said Hudson.

Xcel’s building opened in May 2017, making it the first high-rise office structure built in downtown Amarillo since the 1980s, and accommodates more than 300 workers.

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