Xcel X-Fails again!

Xcel is NOT a public utility company it is FOR PROFIT monopoly. A monopoly BARELY regulated by the PUC! ANY rate increase requested by X-Fail is RUBBER STAMPED by the PUC. I FULLY expect there to be a rate increase request to address the system wide vulnerabilities that X-Fail has allowed exist for decades. It wasn't until the Marshall fire full exposed these vulnerabilities that was anything done. Unfortunately, what was done was to leave our fellow citizens in the dark for DAYS.

The financial impact of this will stretch into the MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. NONE of which X-Fail will be liable for. Which is a typical for profit corporate maneuver. Shift the financial burden to someone else to protect profits.

X-Fail delays and puts off maintenance and upgrades because they are not profitable. The only true profitable line items are new facilities.

Was the shutoff, or at least part of it, necessary? Yes. We can't have another Marshall fire. Were they handled poorly? OH HELL YES! X-Fail knew this was coming and should have had additional crew in place to reduce the length of the outage.

X-Fail needs to use some of their $2,000,000,000 ANNUAL PROFIT and cash reserves to fortify the system (bury the lines and upgrade existing above ground facilities), automate the shutoff process (quicker shutoff time, shorter outages, better notification) and granularize the grid (smaller sections shutoff) to reduce the impact on their customers.