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Xcel is planning a potential PSPS for parts of Larimer and Weld on Friday January 14, 2026.
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. Again on December 19, 2025 Xcel Energy implemented a second PSPS event that impacted approximately 69,000 customers in those same counties. Total outages across these days were higher due to damage from this storm and other protective measures implemented by Xcel.
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.
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 Xcel 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.
Xcel is planning a potential PSPS for parts of Larimer and Weld on Friday January 14, 2026.
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. Again on December 19, 2025 Xcel Energy implemented a second PSPS event that impacted approximately 69,000 customers in those same counties. Total outages across these days were higher due to damage from this storm and other protective measures implemented by Xcel.
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.
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 Xcel 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.
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.
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Since the Marshall fire, which started the PSPS's, Xcel has installed and upgraded many power line safety devices such as breakers and re-closers. The new devices can be set to wildfire mode which makes them very sensitive.
Rather than shutting down the power to everyone in a PSPS zone, leave the power on and let the safety devices do their job. The safety device pinpoints where the problem is and makes it faster for the crews to find the problems and repair them.
In a PSPS situation where the power is shutoff for everyone, if there is damage to the... Continue reading
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During the recent PSPS OUTAGE we lost all power and telephones. We live in a sub-division with all buried utilities in the City of Arvada.
Xcel shut down the power on Wednesday Morning, with that shut down the telephone company SLC Huts went down too. We lost ALL access to any emergency services!! Cell phones have very spotty service in our area. (all Carriers that we have had)
The PUC Failure.
1. The PUC has failed to see that the local telephone company maintains the batteries in their remote sights, provides generators during outages or anything else to maintain customer... Continue reading
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We had an early morning court hearing in Jefferson County District Court on a Partition Action to sell Real Estate in Golden. We spent the night of the 17th in a dark Hampton Inn. The morning of the 18th the District Court Hearing was cancelled due to no power at the court. We are now waiting for a new hearing date, which will result in us having to pay 2025 property taxes in the amount of $3,600. There were absolutely no updates to be found on Xcel's website. I am on oxygen during the night and without power O2 concentrator... Continue reading
Share Traumatized feedback from Boulder area residents--shared with BACES (Boulder Area Coalition for Energy Sovereignty) on FacebookShare Traumatized feedback from Boulder area residents--shared with BACES (Boulder Area Coalition for Energy Sovereignty) on TwitterShare Traumatized feedback from Boulder area residents--shared with BACES (Boulder Area Coalition for Energy Sovereignty) on LinkedinEmail Traumatized feedback from Boulder area residents--shared with BACES (Boulder Area Coalition for Energy Sovereignty) link
by Boulder Area Coalition for Energy Sovereignty ,
about 2 months ago
Traumatized feedback from Boulder area residents--shared with BACES
Dec. 24, 2025
Hi. In the following "Resources" sub-page ofBACES(Boulder Area Coalition for Energy Sovereignty--https://boulderforpeopleenergy.blogspot.com/), please find a number of feedbacks and ideas, reflecting (in part) the trauma that our Boulder community experienced as a result of Xcel's profit-driven power shot-off:
My wife and I live in Idaho Springs with our 2 young kids, ages 15 and 8. We received our first text from Xcel around 5:30pm on Thursday the 18 notifying us of the planned outage that would take place the following day. This left us only a few hours to prepare. During the day, there was little to no wind gusts outside. Friday night was spent in a dark and frigid house. Showers were also ice cold because of the electric water heater was out. Meanwhile, Xcel's website constantly changed when the power restoration would happen. First it was... Continue reading
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Our power was off aboutv20 hours, on for about 20, then off again for >24 hours. I would rather be without power than have my house burn down. But I sympathize with those who remind us that these stronggwinds have been around hereveverybwinter for many years (ever since I moved here in 1974) and Xcel has done less than enough to harden its infrastructure. ”It’s too expensive” solves nothing. And that kind of rigid thinking might be in the way of finding opportunities.
Forvexample, 2 years ago in the Mapleton Hill area and just north of historic district, we endured... Continue reading
Share How are we going to get rid of natural gas????? on FacebookShare How are we going to get rid of natural gas????? on TwitterShare How are we going to get rid of natural gas????? on LinkedinEmail How are we going to get rid of natural gas????? link
The thing that really stands out to me is the fact that we are still holding onto the pipe dream of functioning without natural gas in the near future. If the system cannot operate in common front range conditions, how will it support the additional load put on it by our upcoming "green" revolution? The old adage of "putting all of your eggs in one basket" holds abundantly true in this case. The gas service remained uninterrupted during this episode as well as the 2024 shutdown. If the proponents of the natural gas ban would like to chime in, I'm... Continue reading
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We lost power around 9:30 am Wednesday, 12/17, briefly regained it around 2:30 pm on 12/18 which was actually helpful, then lost it 12/18-12/20.
We had some high wind gusts and a full-on windy period 12/17 and overnight into 12/18, otherwise, no high winds. Of course, it has been very dry and warm, but this is not unusual or unprecedented for Colorado's climate, nor is wind.
We are all aware of the tragedy of the Marshall Fire; we are also aware that this is not the norm.
We lost around $150 of food by being proactive with $200 of ice... Continue reading
Share XCEL - 50+ Years of Incompetence on FacebookShare XCEL - 50+ Years of Incompetence on TwitterShare XCEL - 50+ Years of Incompetence on LinkedinEmail XCEL - 50+ Years of Incompetence link
There is absolutely no justification for the incompetence of Xcel over the past 50+ years in designing and constructing an electrical grid that is incapable of withstanding long-known, routine environmental conditions.
I have resided in Boulder since late 1967. During the first decade of my residence (1967-1977), we routinely experienced Winter/Spring Chinooks in the 130 MPH range, this was not uncommon. Therefore, for over fifty (50) years, Xcel has constructed electrical supply systems in a known extremely high wind environment. Their current necessity to shut off power due to fire potential from wind damage to their electrical supply system is... Continue reading
Share Xcel X-Fails again! on FacebookShare Xcel X-Fails again! on TwitterShare Xcel X-Fails again! on LinkedinEmail Xcel X-Fails again! link
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... Continue reading
