U.S. court reverses ruling on nuclear waste storage

MINNEAPOLIS - Xcel Energy Inc. on Friday said a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., this week revived a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy involving the disposal of nuclear waste. Xcel Energy was formed in August by the merger of Minneapolis-based Northern States Power and Denver-based New Century Energies. Northern States was among the companies that sued the DOE in 1998 for breaching a contract under which the agency was to begin accepting and disposing of spent nuclear fuel from U.S. utilities. The appeals court ruling reverses the dismissal of Northern States complaint and sends the case back to federal claims court for determination of damages. Northern States lawsuit seeks more than $1 billion in damages from the Energy Department. REUTERS NEWS SERVICE