Planned outage extended excessively

On October 23, 2025, I received an automated call from Xcel Energy notifying me of a planned power outage scheduled for October 24, 2025, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and lasting until approximately 2:00 p.m. The outage was described as necessary to perform maintenance and tree trimming in the neighborhood. However, the outage extended far beyond the stated timeframe, lasting until approximately 7:30 p.m.Crews continued working well into the evening, finishing the trimming work in the dark under spotlights, which was both unexpected and disruptive for residents. This prolonged outage and late-night work represent a serious failure in planning and scheduling. Xcel Energy should have adhered to the published five-hour schedule instead of dragging the work on for over ten hours. Additionally, Xcel has been butchering trees in the neighborhood for several weeks, leaving a trail of unsightly and excessively trimmed vegetation. The combination of the extended outage, disruptive work hours, and careless trimming practices has caused considerable frustration among residents.
The complaint filed with PUC was “registered” and the deficiencies in Xcel Energy’s response were not addressed or questioned by the Commission. The Commission’s response appears to rely on Xcel Energy’s representations without critical examination.