PUC to the rescue

On Jan 22, the utility pole in the alley behind my house was replaced. Yes, power off for four hours when the temperature was barely above freezing. Whoever thought that would be a good idea? The original pole had a light that lt up the alley for safety reasons. A light was installed on the new pole. The old light pointed east so that the rectangular beam of light lit up the north/south alley. The new light was installed pointing south east. No light on the alley and extensive light pollution on private property, including my backyard and the back of my house. Are the installers not trained? I filled in the street light outage form three times over the course of six weeks. No response from Xcel. I submitted a complaint with the PUC and got a call from Xcel the next day. A crew from Sturgeon Electric was out two hours later. Unfortunately the smaller lamp that was installed that Friday made the situation worse. However , the guys from Sturgeon gave me permission to text them with the results of their attempted fix. I sent a text on Friday night and was told they would be back Monday night. They had permission to drill new holes on the utility pole and reposition the light. That is what they did the following Monday night and ensured I was happy with the fix before they left.

Request for review of 9.9 Rate hike and separate wildfire fees on Residential bill

I understand utility costs rise with inflation, materials, and infrastructure needs. However, if Xcel is recovering wildfire mitigation or other expenses through separate adjustments—like the $34.33 back-charge and $6.14 current fee on my January 28, 2026 bill—those should offset any increase in base delivery rates, not add to them. Otherwise, customers pay twice for the same service: once for electricity, once for upkeep. The proposed 9.9% electric rate increase in August 2026 compounds this issue—especially when Colorado inflation is only 2.6%. That disparity feels disproportionate without clear proof the hike is essential, not simply profit protection in a monopoly market…

Fire Danger in the City of Denver

On December 19, 2025, an Xcel property (1570 W Jewell) caught fire In the Ruby Hill neighborhood. Many of the Xcel properties inside the city of Denver are not maintained to prevent brush fires. One would think a company that settled the Marshall Fire claims for 640 million dollars would look to prevent these fires from happening again in urban areas.