When “Public Safety” Becomes Public Harm

I am submitting this statement to formally document my experience with Xcel Energy’s Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) during the week prior to Christmas. I reside in the Morrison/Golden area and am a stay-at-home mother of two young children. What occurred was not a single, weather-driven emergency event, but two extended PSPS events within three days, resulting in significant hardship, financial loss, and disruption to basic living conditions.

What was initially communicated as a one-day power shutoff on Wednesday ultimately lasted approximately 36 hours. Power was restored briefly, only to be shut off again early Friday morning at approximately 5:30 a.m. As of Saturday afternoon, power has still not been restored.

Because I was home throughout this period, I was able to directly observe weather conditions. On Friday, there was little to no wind from morning through evening. Despite this, the PSPS remained in effect. If PSPS decisions are truly weather-based, Xcel Energy must be required to reassess and adjust in real time when conditions do not materialize as forecasted. There was no reasonable justification for continued outages from Friday through Saturday.

The consequences were substantial:

• Financial burden: In the week leading up to Christmas, my family lost refrigerated and frozen food and incurred additional expenses from eating out and finding ways to occupy two young children without power. These costs are significant for families and were entirely avoidable.

• Loss of water access: Many households in this area rely on well water. When power is shut off, we lose not only electricity but also water. This means no flushing toilets, no showers, no dishwashing, and no ability to water pets or livestock. I was forced to purchase water simply to flush toilets to maintain basic sanitation.

• Community and economic impact: Numerous small businesses in this area rely on the days leading up to Christmas for critical annual revenue. Many lost income and inventory. Local churches were forced to cancel Christmas services—one of the most attended services of the year.

• Communication failures: Xcel Energy’s communication was inconsistent and misleading. An outage described as an eight-hour event extended to 36 hours, followed by a second shutoff with no clear restoration timeline. The only assistance offered was a phone-charging station, which is inadequate when residents lack heat, water, food preservation, and sanitation.

• Infrastructure negligence: Xcel Energy should not only be required to bury power lines where feasible, but also to maintain existing infrastructure. There are trees entangled in power lines on county property near my home. Proactive vegetation management should be a basic prerequisite before resorting to widespread shutoffs.

Xcel Energy frequently states that PSPS decisions are not taken lightly. Based on this experience, that claim does not align with reality. If they were, service would have been restored once weather conditions proved benign.

I respectfully urge the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to take immediate action, including:

• Establishing firm limits on the duration and frequency of PSPS events

• Requiring real-time reassessment and mandatory restoration when conditions allow

• Mandating customer compensation or stipends for food loss, water access, and temporary lodging

• Enforcing infrastructure maintenance and vegetation management requirements

Two shutoffs within three days is unreasonable and demonstrates a lack of diligence and accountability. I am grateful that temperatures were unseasonably warm; had this occurred during colder conditions, my family may have been displaced from our home.

I contacted my congressional representative’s office regarding this matter and was advised to submit my experience directly to the Colorado PUC. I am also aware of growing discussions among affected residents regarding potential legal action, underscoring the seriousness of this failure.

Public safety should not come at the expense of basic livability without oversight, limits, or accountability. Regulation and enforcement are urgently needed.