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On December 17, 2025 Xcel Energy implemented a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) impacting around 52,000 customers in Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties. 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 Xcel’s use of proactive shutoffs however, the Agency does have an important role in ensuring that the communication, preparation and coordination of PSPS events is protective of customers.
This is Xcel's second PSPS, the first being in April 2024. The PUC received extensive public input following the 2024 event, much of it focusing on lack of notice, inadequate communication during the event, poor mapping of impacted areas and insufficient planning to identify and protect critical infrastructure and facilities. Since 2024, the PUC has taken several steps requiring Xcel to improve its actions across each of these areas. These areas of improvement include:
Advance coordination with state and local emergency response agencies including holding practice shut off events (i.e. “table-top exercises)
Work with local governments to develop lists of critical infrastructure and facilities (e.g. hospitals and water treatment facilities) in order to prioritize communication and power restoration
Advance notice (starting as early as 72 hours in advance) to all potentially impacted customers along with regular updates leading up to the outage
Accurate and timely communication to customers during the outage
Tailored and advanced outreach to individual customers that have informed Xcel of dependence on electric-powered medical equipment
Accurate and detailed mapping both to help residential and commercial customers understand the scope of outages
The PUC also committed to create 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 Xcel customers on their experiences with the December 2025 event. 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.
On December 17, 2025 Xcel Energy implemented a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) impacting around 52,000 customers in Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties. 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 Xcel’s use of proactive shutoffs however, the Agency does have an important role in ensuring that the communication, preparation and coordination of PSPS events is protective of customers.
This is Xcel's second PSPS, the first being in April 2024. The PUC received extensive public input following the 2024 event, much of it focusing on lack of notice, inadequate communication during the event, poor mapping of impacted areas and insufficient planning to identify and protect critical infrastructure and facilities. Since 2024, the PUC has taken several steps requiring Xcel to improve its actions across each of these areas. These areas of improvement include:
Advance coordination with state and local emergency response agencies including holding practice shut off events (i.e. “table-top exercises)
Work with local governments to develop lists of critical infrastructure and facilities (e.g. hospitals and water treatment facilities) in order to prioritize communication and power restoration
Advance notice (starting as early as 72 hours in advance) to all potentially impacted customers along with regular updates leading up to the outage
Accurate and timely communication to customers during the outage
Tailored and advanced outreach to individual customers that have informed Xcel of dependence on electric-powered medical equipment
Accurate and detailed mapping both to help residential and commercial customers understand the scope of outages
The PUC also committed to create 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 Xcel customers on their experiences with the December 2025 event. 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.
Have feedback for the PUC about the December 2025 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 Overreliance on Power Shutoffs and Unjustified Rate Increases on FacebookShare Overreliance on Power Shutoffs and Unjustified Rate Increases on TwitterShare Overreliance on Power Shutoffs and Unjustified Rate Increases on LinkedinEmail Overreliance on Power Shutoffs and Unjustified Rate Increases link
It has become increasingly clear that prolonged shutdowns are not an effective or sustainable approach to fire mitigation. There are proven alternatives Xcel should be prioritizing, including targeted undergrounding of high-risk line segments, aggressive vegetation management, improved sectionalizing and more precise shutdowns, and the development of local microgrids.
Additionally, the proposed nearly 10% rate increase should not be approved. Xcel has not demonstrated sufficient investment in infrastructure improvements to justify such a request. The company earns billions in annual profits, and further increasing rates places a significant financial burden on Colorado families who have no alternative but to rely on... Continue reading
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I left town for the holidays. My food is spoiled. My cat is scared (lucky enough to have a pet sitter), and when calling Xcel to get clarification on the numerous, contradictory maps (to say nothing of the pushing back of goal pasts that are their emails), all I received back was the general, banal company lines of 'we're sorry, those times are an approximation'. People understand the fire risk and appreciate Xcel taking steps to be proactive. I struggle to see how any single person appreciates the lack of foresight to prevent this, the miscommunication, and the general mismanagement... Continue reading
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In 2024 I wrote to the chief exec of Xcel in Minneapolis - Robert Frenzel - to complain about the frequent power outtages...I never received a reply. I also wrote to the chief exec of Xcel in Denver - Richard Scharf...I never received a reply from him either.
This year they upped their game to tell us we would be without power for a number of days and put it in such a way that they seemed concerned about our safety. In short they were saying, "We're worried a power line will be blown down and cause a fire, therefore... Continue reading
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I propose that a stiff fine is levied against any utility company that makes use of the PSPS function.A certain amount for every customer who is de-energized per hour paid into a fund that is used to compensate those affected for any inconvenience for the utility company failing to provide service.
Otherwise, what’s to stop Xcel from simply turning off the power whenever there is risk to their bottom line? Every other business has to figure out how to manage risk within the confines of the contract with their customers. Why does Xcel get to discharge this responsibility?
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In the Lake Valley Estates neighborhood, just north of Boulder, cell service is spotty at best, so many residents rely on WiFi calling, which goes down without power. Without cell service, there is no access to the internet, so emergency texts and emails from Boulder OEM don't necessarily come through, even though many residents have dutifully signed up for BOCO Alert. We have limited escape routes because our neighborhood is surrounded by open space, so reliable emergency communications are critical.
Bottom line: We need reliable cell coverage for our area for emergency communications.
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I don’t even know where to begin with this, but the level of incompetence is simply unacceptable. We were given notice that we would have a planned power shut off from 12pm-6pm on December 17th. It was then changed to 10am and our power was off for 80 hours. This means no water and no heat as well. First of all, for many residents like us that have animals, you can’t prepare for 4 days of no water when you think you’re looking at 6-8 hours. If we had been told we would go 1-2 days without power we would... Continue reading
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On Wednesday, December 17th, at approximately 4:00 PM, our home lost power—just one hour after receiving a notice from Xcel Energy confirming that our address would NOT be affected by the scheduled shutoff on Thursday, December 18th. Nearly 96 hours—or five full days—later, we are still without electricity, leaving us without running water from our well, a reliable way to access the internet (or receive texts or voicemail since we live out of cell reception), and no way to preserve food. We evacuated our home yesterday after receiving yet another missed deadline from Xcel to restore power so... Continue reading
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we live in lookout mountain, lost power early wednesday, got it back for a few hours late thursday, lost it again friday, got it back saturday afternoon. Without backups we would have lost all of our food, and we still ended up throwing away most of the vegetables. While I was lucky to have a little bit of backup pwoer, most of my neighbors had nothing and they lost significant amounts of food. Had the weather been colder this would have been catastrophic as my hot water boiler pipes would have frozen and I would have had no heat and... Continue reading
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Yes I do live in the foothills SW of Golden in Genesee neighborhood. Our power was shut down 10am 12/17, came back on 5:30pm 12/18, off again 1:30am 12/19, back on 5pm 12/20. We recorded one 30 mph wind gust on 12/17. Power was out for a total of 72 hours. Our neighborhood has all underground power lines. During that time, there was either no communication or constantly changing communication of estimates when power would be restored. More importantly we have recorded higher wind episodes over the 19 years we have lived at this residence with no shutdowns. Xcel has... Continue reading
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This recent outage was excessive and dangerous. Two days of the electrical outage the winds topped out at 5 mph At my home The notifications of when the outages would start and stop were all wrong. I had a backup generator installed years ago due to the many outages we have always had in Genesee that powers the essentials of the house. My doctor’s appointment for my diabetes was cancelled because they had no electricity. My wife and I work from home but could not complete our work due to Xfinity being down. I have to assume Xfinity’s issues were... Continue reading
