A…jury…found Xcel Energy and a subsidiary company not guilty of violating workplace safety rules in the deaths of five men at a power plant…The charges…stem from an October 2007 fire at Xcel's Cabin Creek power plant near Georgetown. The fire happened as workers from RPI Coating Inc…were resealing the inside of a large, drained water pipe…prosecutors argued that Xcel had ignored safety rules requiring the company to have a rescue plan in place for the workers and to take other precautions to protect the men…Stricklin [Xcel’s attorney] countered that the fire was an unforeseeable accident and said RPI was responsible for looking out for the men's safety…Stricklin insisted throughout the trial that Xcel was not a criminal, and…said Xcel has worked since the accident to improve its worker- safety protections. Federal criminal charges are still pending against RPI and two of its executives.