Public Comment Regarding Service Reliability and Restoration Communications

I am submitting this comment to document my recent experience with repeated power outages and inconsistent restoration communications, which directly contradict claims that recent capital investments have improved reliability and restoration times.

Beginning on December 9, my electric service has been unstable, with repeated outages and intermittent restorations continuing through December 18. During this period, I received numerous automated alerts from Xcel Energy providing estimated restoration times that were repeatedly missed, revised, or later contradicted by subsequent messages.

Specifically:

• I received multiple restoration estimates (including December 9, December 10, December 11, and later dates), none of which proved accurate.
• I received messages stating that power had been restored when it had not.
• I received alerts stating that my area was not expected to be impacted while I was already without power.
• At times, alerts indicated there was no estimated restoration time at all, only for a new estimate to appear hours later and then be missed again.

This was not a major storm event. While there were periods of high wind, conditions were clear and typical for this region and altitude—conditions utilities routinely cite as justification for infrastructure hardening investments.

The cumulative effect was not just loss of service, but loss of confidence. The outage itself was disruptive; the repeated issuance of inaccurate or contradictory restoration estimates made planning impossible and undermined trust in the information being provided.

Xcel Energy has stated that recent and proposed rate increases are necessary to fund capital improvements intended to reduce outages and restore service faster. Based on my experience, there appears to be a significant gap between those stated objectives and actual customer outcomes.

I am not alleging misconduct. However, I am requesting that the Commission consider:

• Whether reliability and restoration performance metrics are being meaningfully enforced,
• Whether customer-facing outage communications are accurate and accountable,
• And whether capital investment approvals should be more closely tied to demonstrated, measurable improvements in service reliability.

Customers are being asked to pay more based on promised performance improvements. When those improvements are not evident—especially during ordinary operating conditions—it is reasonable for customers to ask how success is being measured and enforced.

Thank you for accepting public comments on this matter.