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The PUC regulates Black Hills Energy and Xcel Energy, which both have Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) plans that have been or could be implemented, impacting consumers. PSPS events have planned outages for customers and may also have other storm-related outages.
PSPS events are implemented in order to reduce the risk of a wildfire caused by power lines or other utility infrastructure. The Public Utilities Commission does not approve or deny Black Hills or Xcel Energy the use of proactive shutoffs; however, the PUC does have an important role in ensuring that the communication, preparation and coordination of PSPS events is protective of customers.
The PUC is creating a new set of rules establishing permanent requirements and standards for public safety power shutoffs. Staff is currently working to draft these rules and welcomes input from Black Hills and Xcel Energy customers on their experiences with the most recent PSPS events. This information will help ensure that the PUC’s rules are comprehensive.
Please take a few minutes to give us your feedback through the survey or comment links below.
Please take a few minutes to give us your feedback through the survey or comment links below.
The PUC regulates Black Hills Energy and Xcel Energy, which both have Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) plans that have been or could be implemented, impacting consumers. PSPS events have planned outages for customers and may also have other storm-related outages.
PSPS events are implemented in order to reduce the risk of a wildfire caused by power lines or other utility infrastructure. The Public Utilities Commission does not approve or deny Black Hills or Xcel Energy the use of proactive shutoffs; however, the PUC does have an important role in ensuring that the communication, preparation and coordination of PSPS events is protective of customers.
The PUC is creating a new set of rules establishing permanent requirements and standards for public safety power shutoffs. Staff is currently working to draft these rules and welcomes input from Black Hills and Xcel Energy customers on their experiences with the most recent PSPS events. This information will help ensure that the PUC’s rules are comprehensive.
Please take a few minutes to give us your feedback through the survey or comment links below.
Please take a few minutes to give us your feedback through the survey or comment links below.
Have feedback for the PUC about a recent Public Safety Power Shutoff? Feel free to share here. Please note: This info will be public for other users to see.
Thank you for sharing your story with us.
Share 2025 Dec shut off on FacebookShare 2025 Dec shut off on TwitterShare 2025 Dec shut off on LinkedinEmail 2025 Dec shut off link
Dear Sirs , Regarding the Dec 2025 power shutoff. The communication was terrible you would get a notice and then soon after you would get something totally different. I am concerned that the shutoff was unnecessary . The community that I am in has no above ground power lines so what was the concern? It looks like Excel was just trying to limit there liability. Causing residents to stay in hotels and throw away ruined food.It seem like some sort of compensation would be in order. I am hoping that every time there is a little wind that the power... Continue reading
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While we fully recognize the need for wildfire safety (especially in light of the devastating Marshall fire) Xcel Energy needs to improve how they conduct PSPS events.
Xcel's initial communications were vague as to if a shutoff would occur and when power might be restored. I am not knowledgeable of Xcel's electricity grid interconnects, but the shutoff areas seemed extremely broad yet had gaps where power was not impacted. This was evident in the Candelas and Westwoods areas leaving residents on one side of the street wondering why their power was out, yet their neighbors continued to have electrical power... Continue reading
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PSPS last week was a massive failure of the stated goals and placed unreasonable hardship on the community and increased risk of fatalities and fires during the event.
4 days of power outages in Golden due to planned shutoff of 2 PSPS events last week was a complete failure to eliminate fire risk from power lines evidenced by the fact residents and businesses were without power in many locations while neighbors across the street were energized with power during the entire PSPS and that there was NO WIND whatsoever during the second PSPS in Golden. Each PSPS required days for... Continue reading
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I understand Xcel's turning off the power. We had power lines snapped in half near our house and a fire in those high winds would be devastating. However, PSPSes can not be the long-term plan. Shutting off power to thousands of customers for days isn't a solution.
We need to have the right infrastructure (i.e. buried power lines) that doesn't necessitate shutoff in high wind areas like along the foothills. We will get high winds again. My wife couldn't work for three days (she runs a small business out of our house) and I had to leave town to get... Continue reading
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A prophylactic power outage, while inconvenient, is far better than the devastating alternative of a wildfire destroying an entire neighborhood. Temporarily shutting off electricity during extreme fire conditions can prevent downed lines or faulty equipment from sparking a blaze that spreads uncontrollably in dry, high-wind environments. The discomfort of losing power for a few hours or even a day—no lights, limited air conditioning, disrupted routines—pales in comparison to the permanent loss of homes, businesses, and irreplaceable personal belongings.
A preventive shutdown is a proactive, controlled decision rooted in risk management, not fear. It reflects a commitment to public safety over... Continue reading
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If the wind isn’t blowing keep our power on! do not shut off our power if we don’t have wind. Do not shut off our power 8 hours prior to a forecasted wind event that never happens! Reinforce the grid or bury the power lines. This entire episode was unnecessary and shows your incompetence as a power supplier.
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I understand taking precautions to prevent wildfire and I was supportive of the PSPS shutdown. However, I feel that Xcel failed to set appropriate expectations for the extent of potential outages and communicated poorly with customers as events unfolded.
We made crucial decisions based on Xcel communications about the timing and length of outages that turned out to be wrong — in some cases, off by not just hours, but days. Power went off without warning, in some cases. We received messages stating that power was restored when it had not been and sometimes received numerous contradictory messages minutes apart... Continue reading
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I was informed that my power would be shut off proactively on both Wednesday and Friday events. Power was not shut off Wednesday proactively, but was later off due to downed lines anyway.
On Friday, power was proactively shut off, then during the event I received emails and text messages containing information that:
the event was actually unexpected,
it would be restored by 6pm,
it would be restored by 10pm,
the Proactive Shutoff event was actually expected but wouldn't be resolved until possibly noon Sunday or possibly Monday,
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I would like to say that I support the decision to turn off power up in my foothills neighborhood on Wednesday. Then the power was back on Thursday at 6:00 pm for 5 hours. The Friday winds were the worst that I have seen in 48 years up here. Lines down, trees falling into houses and terrifying noise were justification for turning off the power. I did not have any communication with Excel due to no service on my phone. In talking to the different companies working to restore power there was a common thread. There was a lack of... Continue reading
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Early on, I was informed that my house was in a potential PSPS area. Later, I received an e-mail saying the PSPS was no longer in effect for my neighborhood. Then, in the late evening of Dec 17, the power to my neighborhood was shut off. I suspect this was a preventative shutoff, since they restored power many hours later, without the normal power line inspection they always do in my neighborhood after an unplanned outage. I received ZERO communication from Xcel regarding the outage, the cause (planned/unplanned), nor estimated restoration time, nor a "power was restored" e-mail. On an... Continue reading
