Share Public Safety Power Shutoff on FacebookShare Public Safety Power Shutoff on TwitterShare Public Safety Power Shutoff on LinkedinEmail Public Safety Power Shutoff link
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 Xcel power preemptive power outages unsustainable on FacebookShare Xcel power preemptive power outages unsustainable on TwitterShare Xcel power preemptive power outages unsustainable on LinkedinEmail Xcel power preemptive power outages unsustainable link
Regarding the scheduled power outages during last week’s extreme wind events, I want to be clear that I understand the need for preemptive shutoffs when fire danger is high. Public safety must come first. However, the execution of these shutoffs and, more importantly, Xcel Energy’s communication and restoration process were unacceptable.
Xcel did provide adequate notice for the initial shutoff on Wednesday. After that point, communications deteriorated significantly. Customers received a confusing and often contradictory series of texts, emails, and phone calls that provided little clarity on restoration timelines or next steps. After Wednesday’s power was off for an extended... Continue reading
Share Fix this by fining Xcel for each outage on FacebookShare Fix this by fining Xcel for each outage on TwitterShare Fix this by fining Xcel for each outage on LinkedinEmail Fix this by fining Xcel for each outage link
The disruption to our lives was absolutely unacceptable, even for those of us who didn't lose power but were near the outage area. First, Xcel's maps changed multiple times which made a fun game of trying to figure out if you were going to have power. Then, the school district canceled school *district wide* on Wednesday when it was totally inappropriate to do so. My child's school was canceled for on Friday because we were "too close" to the projected outage boundary. I get that it was the last week before break, but pulling kids out of school is detrimental... Continue reading
Share Adjustments for future weather occurrences must be made on FacebookShare Adjustments for future weather occurrences must be made on TwitterShare Adjustments for future weather occurrences must be made on LinkedinEmail Adjustments for future weather occurrences must be made link
As someone who worked in Louisville and had to evacuate during the Marshall Fire, I know how important it was to shut off the power because of similar extreme wind/drought to prevent another disaster. That being said, it has been 4 years since the Marshall Fire and that has been plenty of time to reinforce or update high risk areas. With over 200 BILLION dollars in profits, why has Xcel not taken care of their customers that fund their profits and paychecks? These weather events and conditions are not going away, it is time for action! Just having power shut... Continue reading
Share Ambiguity Causes Wasted Time and Energy on FacebookShare Ambiguity Causes Wasted Time and Energy on TwitterShare Ambiguity Causes Wasted Time and Energy on LinkedinEmail Ambiguity Causes Wasted Time and Energy link
I want safety for everyone, but Xcel is taking limiting their liability over the top. This entire event should be a case study in CYA gone awry.
Xcel overcommunicated and WAY overestimated the areas that would be included in the PSPS in their original communication causing our family and probably others to needlessly worry and spend our time prepping for what their communications made seem like a certainty but never materialized. I spent my time prepping and stressing about something that became a non-event. I have enough other stuff in my life to deal with rather than worrying about an... Continue reading
Share Invest in some technology! on FacebookShare Invest in some technology! on TwitterShare Invest in some technology! on LinkedinEmail Invest in some technology! link
Communication is never going to be perfect. Communicate an outage too early and the weather forecast might change. However, we live in an area that is defined as a "high wind" area. So what is the criteria for an outage? 75 mph winds and high fire danger as defined by the NWS and then agreed to by Xcel lawyers? I get 75 mph winds at my house 6 times a year and it is dry every fall. What is the plan going forward to alleviate a 3-day outrage for 6 hours of wind? The NWS already has wind monitors up... Continue reading
Share Shutoff not ended in reasonable time on FacebookShare Shutoff not ended in reasonable time on TwitterShare Shutoff not ended in reasonable time on LinkedinEmail Shutoff not ended in reasonable time link
There is no discussion that turning off power in these instances is a good idea. What is wrong with the system is that it is being used to an extreme. In north Loveland, we received a notice on Wednesday that it would be shut off, then not more than 30 minutes later a notice that "power has been restored". It had never been off and never was on Wednesday during a much higher wind event than Friday. Then received a note that power would go off Friday at 5am, which it did. However, the wind subsided here mid-day and Xcel... Continue reading
Share Xcel needs to be held accountable on FacebookShare Xcel needs to be held accountable on TwitterShare Xcel needs to be held accountable on LinkedinEmail Xcel needs to be held accountable link
Let me start by saying this power shutdown cost my business about $20,000 in sales. We work very hard to ensure that our business runs well and something so brutal as a $20,000 loss is not foreseen in our business plan, anybody's business plan!
While we all want to avoid wildfire and disaster, the way this particular situation was handled was completely unacceptable. The power to our business was shut down for over 56 hours straight, not including a few hours on Wednesday afternoon.
We lost the ability to make any sales over the busiest weekend of our entire year... Continue reading
Share A dangerous solution on FacebookShare A dangerous solution on TwitterShare A dangerous solution on LinkedinEmail A dangerous solution link
We live in Evergreen and were without power AND water from Weds to Saturday night. We have livestock animals that very nearly ran out of water and finding water became increasingly difficult. The conditions in our home became unsanitary and dangerous, but we couldn’t leave due to the animals we’re responsible for. The total lack of community outreach from Xcel, a profit-rich organization, was shocking. They failed to coordinate with local authorities to deliver water to well users, create community shelters, or organize resources in any meaningful way. While none of us want our homes to burn down, a reasonable... Continue reading
Share No communication leads to frustration on FacebookShare No communication leads to frustration on TwitterShare No communication leads to frustration on LinkedinEmail No communication leads to frustration link
We lost power from 10am Wednesday to midnight, then again from 6am Friday to 8:30am Saturday.
We were well informed that the power was going to be shutoff, but there was absolutely zero information DURING the shutoff, which is when you want information the most. A lousy non updated website leads to another lousy website just telling you why they did what they did. Says to call for more info, but when you call you get the same runaround, and a pre-recorded message tells you to go to the website. Then, there was communication after the power came back on... Continue reading
Share Impact of Prolonged Power Outage on Remote Work and Household on FacebookShare Impact of Prolonged Power Outage on Remote Work and Household on TwitterShare Impact of Prolonged Power Outage on Remote Work and Household on LinkedinEmail Impact of Prolonged Power Outage on Remote Work and Household link
I work fully remotely, and access to reliable power and internet is essential to my ability to do my job and earn a living. I have a limited amount of paid time off, and with the holidays and my son’s school schedule, my husband and I had already planned our time off around the two week school break.
Weather conditions may have been more severe in Boulder, but in our immediate area the conditions were not unusually severe. Our neighborhood has buried power lines. Despite this, we lost power while nearby neighborhoods remained fully operational.
