Egregious Negligence

My name is Ben , and I’m submitting this statement in response to the State’s request to share my experience with Xcel Energy.

Let me be blunt: Xcel has failed me and my community repeatedly, and without accountability.

Over the past two years, I’ve endured more than two dozen power outages at my home. In just the last three months alone, we’ve lost power six times, often for hours at a time, with no advance notice and no meaningful explanation. Xcel’s official reports cite causes like “animal contact,” “vegetation,” “cable failure,” or the ever-convenient “unknown cause.” That is not accountability, that is evasion.

I’ve had to manually close my garage without the ability to lock it, leaving my home unsecured and vulnerable. That is not just inconvenient, that is a threat to my safety. And yet Xcel’s response is a mix of boilerplate legal disclaimers, vague promises of improvement, and a complete refusal to take ownership of the systemic failures happening on their watch.

Xcel’s infrastructure is unreliable, their management is clearly inadequate, and their so-called Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings have resulted in even longer outages without any real investment in reliable infrastructure. These are not isolated incidents. This is a pattern of negligence that has gone unchallenged for far too long.

I pay for electricity. I don’t pay for excuses. The people of Colorado deserve better. We deserve a utility provider that treats public safety as a priority, not a liability risk.

I urge the State to hold Xcel accountable. Investigate their operations. Audit their infrastructure spending. Demand performance. And if they continue to fail, consider alternatives. Because this cannot continue.

I find it ironic and borderline offensive that they have the audacity to threaten me when I am several days late on my energy bill.

I am one voice, but I know I’m not alone. We are tired, we are angry, and we are demanding action.

Ben
Littleton, CO 80128