Public Safety Power Shutoff

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  12/17-12/20 Outage

  by CdP, 5 months ago
  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

  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. We also lost a great deal of time and dealt with considerably increased stress during the busy holiday season.

  Please create a better plan for wind and dry spells such as updated infrastructure.

  We'll purchase a generator as we don't really hold out any hope of a better resolution, but many can't afford a generator or it's not practical.
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  XCEL - 50+ Years of Incompetence

  by PED, 5 months ago

  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

  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 clear evidence of malfeasance in their design and construction operations. They have designed and implemented an electrical grid that is inadequate for the existing environmental conditions.

  For the last 50 years, at a minimum, Xcel should have been constructing their network in a manner that would withstand 157 MPH, CATEGORY 5 winds by utilizing robust above-ground components and burying new power lines as the standard practice. They should have also been undertaking a systematic program of retroactively burying older, above-ground lines. The current need to shut off power in winds substantially less severe than those historically experienced is prima facie evidence of mismanagement, malfeasance, or incompetence.

  What should the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) do about this?

  Recognize that the current problem is one that Xcel created.

  Given that the problem is of Xcel’s own making, it should be their responsibility, at their own expense, to rectify it.

  Furthermore, Xcel should be required to:

  - Underground bury all new secondary and downward lines (those below 18,000 volts);

  - Replace all existing above-ground secondary (and downward) lines with underground lines;

  - Replace all above-ground grid components with equipment that has been proven to withstand 157+ MPH winds and blown debris;

  - For the next decade, Xcel should offer its customers the opportunity to install a whole-house, battery, or backup generator system for their residence at a cost that is XX% off the manufacturer’s cost, and financed over a 20-year term through their Xcel invoicing at no interest.

  Finally, Xcel must implement fast trip disconnects that automatically shut down the electrical grid in small (less than 500 customer?) groupings. These disconnects should be remotely set to not automatically reset during high wind periods when a ground fault is detected.
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  Xcel X-Fails again!

  by PAW, 5 months ago

  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

  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.
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  Worse than last time

  by Anna710, 5 months ago

  Xcel has one job. That's it. So why in the world does Xcel think it's ok to just cut off power?! Why does this ridiculous "strategy" actually have a name?! Xcel has been allowed to have a monopoly, so the state has allowed them to come up with whatever crazy "plan" they want to utilize in order to continue to make huge amounts of money.

  They're an enormously profitable monopoly, and they have been given free rein. Of course they will do things that help them remain incredibly profitable. Apparently they must be forced to spend money to upgrade equipment... Continue reading

  Xcel has one job. That's it. So why in the world does Xcel think it's ok to just cut off power?! Why does this ridiculous "strategy" actually have a name?! Xcel has been allowed to have a monopoly, so the state has allowed them to come up with whatever crazy "plan" they want to utilize in order to continue to make huge amounts of money.

  They're an enormously profitable monopoly, and they have been given free rein. Of course they will do things that help them remain incredibly profitable. Apparently they must be forced to spend money to upgrade equipment, bury lines, and regain the public trust.

  Just like last time, CORE Electric was able to keep the power on unless there was an actual problem. I'm certain that Xcel could do the same, but clearly they are just trying to save money.

  Xcel's communication was horrendous. They're great at telling customers when the power is off (which, of course we already knew), but horrible at keeping the power on, and at telling customers when it would be back on if it has to be shut off.

  Even after the initial shutdown and restoration, we got multiple phone calls at 3am telling us that our power was off and that they had no idea when it would be back on. This is not helpful and was extremely annoying. Don't call people in the middle of the night to state the obvious, and don't call if you have no actual information. This is basic common sense.

  PUC, please do everything in your power to get Xcel to spend the money needed to keep our community safe, and keep the power on. Besides being a major public safety issue, this is an economic imperative for our commmunities. Businesses and individuals lost tens of thousands of dollars, and we have no recourse currently.
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  Public safety demands fixing infrastructure

  by MKR, 5 months ago

  PSPS cannot be come the norm - Xcel fixing their infrastructure must be prioritized.

  My family was privileged that we could afford to go drop $1K on a generator along with $150 in propane and $50 in ice. We lost around $200 in food by the time we could get the generator in place. I am grateful it was warm because we have 3 small children including an 8 month old baby and with our gas fireplace and gas stove could maintain enough home heat and hot water to get by, but if it had been colder we would have... Continue reading

  PSPS cannot be come the norm - Xcel fixing their infrastructure must be prioritized.

  My family was privileged that we could afford to go drop $1K on a generator along with $150 in propane and $50 in ice. We lost around $200 in food by the time we could get the generator in place. I am grateful it was warm because we have 3 small children including an 8 month old baby and with our gas fireplace and gas stove could maintain enough home heat and hot water to get by, but if it had been colder we would have had to leave our home and spend more unexpected money from our family savings.

  Very few people have the luxury of choosing to invest in a generator or replacing lost food instantly.

  We moved to the area just before the Marshall fire and while I’m grateful for measures being taken to prevent fires, PSPS is still reactive to the larger public safety need for infrastructure that is inherently more protective than power shutdowns (which can also be grossly miscalculated based on weather forecasting vs reality. We experienced a combined 3 days without power and only the first day came with any noticeable wind in our area.)
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  Shame on Xcel and Colorado

  by Phil-golden-33, 5 months ago

  Let me be clear at the outset: I fully support mitigating natural disasters—especially wildfires—whenever and wherever possible. Public safety must always come first. That said, the way this recent power shutoff was executed was deeply mismanaged and remarkably tone-deaf on Xcel’s part.

  
  

  It’s hard to ignore the broader context. This outage felt less like a carefully planned safety measure and more like a political pressure tactic following the state’s settlement related to the Marshall Fire. With the state unwilling to assume future fire risk, Xcel appears to be protecting itself by shifting the burden to customers. While I can understand... Continue reading

  Let me be clear at the outset: I fully support mitigating natural disasters—especially wildfires—whenever and wherever possible. Public safety must always come first. That said, the way this recent power shutoff was executed was deeply mismanaged and remarkably tone-deaf on Xcel’s part.

  
  

  It’s hard to ignore the broader context. This outage felt less like a carefully planned safety measure and more like a political pressure tactic following the state’s settlement related to the Marshall Fire. With the state unwilling to assume future fire risk, Xcel appears to be protecting itself by shifting the burden to customers. While I can understand why a corporation would act to limit liability, that reality exposes the real issue: we have a publicly traded company operating our state’s power grid.

  
  

  Like any for-profit company, Xcel is incentivized to maximize shareholder value. The result is outdated infrastructure, aging technology, and sluggish systems—paired with consistently rising bills and strong profits. There is little motivation to change unless they are required to.

  
  

  That’s where the state must step in. We need clear rules and legislation that compel reinvestment of earnings into modern infrastructure and technology—so when shutoffs are necessary, they are faster, more targeted, and far less disruptive.

  
  

  I don’t object to occasional outages for legitimate safety reasons. What is unacceptable is how long this process took and how poorly it was communicated. Xcel needs to invest in workforce expansion and infrastructure upgrades before placing such a heavy burden on its customers.

  
  

  And speaking of customers—shouldn’t we have a voice in decisions that directly shut down our power? These outages are economically crippling and severely disruptive to daily life. There has to be a better, more sustainable, and more collaborative approach.

  
  

  Let’s work together to find it.
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  “What we have here is a failure to communicate.”

  by JPM, 5 months ago

  We can all agree we don’t like wildfires. But what’s the reasonable response to the threat? It can’t be to shut down the power whenever the wind blows.

  After the last/first Public Safety Power Shutoff (2024), the PUC insisted that Xcel better communicate with its customers. The recent double voluntary PSPS outages shows that Xcel learned little and has done little.

  With little regard for its customers, Xcel sticks its head in the sand. It has neither built the infrastructure needed or developed the communication skills to keep the public updated.

  What’s missing?

  First, there is no reliable information about... Continue reading

  We can all agree we don’t like wildfires. But what’s the reasonable response to the threat? It can’t be to shut down the power whenever the wind blows.

  After the last/first Public Safety Power Shutoff (2024), the PUC insisted that Xcel better communicate with its customers. The recent double voluntary PSPS outages shows that Xcel learned little and has done little.

  With little regard for its customers, Xcel sticks its head in the sand. It has neither built the infrastructure needed or developed the communication skills to keep the public updated.

  What’s missing?

  First, there is no reliable information about what’s going on. Xcel announced Friday’s power shutdown would start at 5AM. Why? The forecast for high winds indicated a start at 11AM or noon. (And the forecast was right. Friday morning was calm and peaceful.) Then they announced power would not be back until Saturday 10PM (or in some cases Sunday or Monday). Saturday 10PM was still the announced power recovery time at 9:30AM Saturday morning. But at 10AM, my power came back on. Joy and disbelief ensured along with the thought that perhaps Xcel doesn’t know the difference between 10AM and 10PM. Or maybe their online notification of 10PM was just a typo. Reality ensued 30 minutes later went the power went out again. Without knowing if this is a new unplanned outage or a simply a continuation of the PSPS and someone had turned on the power “too soon”, the wait to power continues.

  Second, there is no information about actual damages. We don’t know if there is a significant problem with downed powerlines littered across the state? How many lines came down this week? Where were they located? Are these suburban area lines or isolated lines up in the mountains? Looking at the bigger picture, how many fires are causes by downed powerlines every year? (compared to other fire sources, primarily human?)

  Third, if winds from a first storm take down weakened tree limbs and power poles, should we be as fearful of a second round of winds, or assume the weak links came down in the first storm and sturdy trees and poles will survive the second.

  Fourth, this is Colorado. Wind happens and has happened throughout history. Why do our utilities act as if they have no clue that they operate in these conditions? Why aren’t transmission lines hardened/buried, particularly in metro areas. Why is there no technology to identify if a line is damaged or down? Why can’t isolated problems be isolated so that large chunks of the grid don’t need be turned off? And when the utility does act to update its equipment shouldn’t it be addressing these issues. There have been updates in rural Boulder county over the last several years but each time Xcel merely replaced old poles with new rather than acting proactively to build a better, more reliable grid.

  Fifth, if the problem is simply tree limbs falling in high wind, how about some basic remediation work by both homeowners and the utility. If power lines run through trees, let’s deal with the trees before the next windstorm. There are lots of examples along the major north-south roads in east Boulder County of trees simply hollowed out so the powerlines can run through them.

  Sixth, Is the model for the future here that every Coloradan must assume Xcel is incapable of providing reliable energy and that every household in the state needs to buy and install its own backup generator? Isn’t the point of a electric grid/utility to avoid the total fragmentation of power?
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  Xcel communications have gotten WORSE in Dec. 2025 compared with Apr. 2024

  by cchapman, 5 months ago
  Let me start this story with the week BEFORE the week of the Dec. 2025 PSPS. On Dec. 9th we got multiple messages from Xcel about a power outage that we did NOT have. On Dec. 11th we got 4 phone calls from Xcel in the middle of the night about another power outage they said we had, but did NOT, which kept us awake. So the next day I talked with an Xcel tech about a possible system error that was assigning homes to the wrong Xcel power circuits. He promised an "investigation" and that I would be sent... Continue reading

  Let me start this story with the week BEFORE the week of the Dec. 2025 PSPS. On Dec. 9th we got multiple messages from Xcel about a power outage that we did NOT have. On Dec. 11th we got 4 phone calls from Xcel in the middle of the night about another power outage they said we had, but did NOT, which kept us awake. So the next day I talked with an Xcel tech about a possible system error that was assigning homes to the wrong Xcel power circuits. He promised an "investigation" and that I would be sent the results by Dec. 19th. I have yet to hear the results. But those earlier events greatly undercut my confidence in info from Xcel during the windstorm and PSPS Dec. 17-21.

  
  

  The sole improvement in Xcel communications this month compared with the April 2024 event was earlier public announcement of a possible PSPS. In every other ways we experienced it, communications were WORSE.

  Let me say that I understand the need for a PSPS in Xcel's toolbox: it might prevent another Marshall fire being started by Xcel's inferior infrastructure. But it would be far better for Xcel to understand that the long-standing topography and meteorology of the chinooks on the east face of the Rockies should have mandated sturdier infrastructure decades ago (underground lines, redundancies in communications, etc.). That should be priority #1, not PSPS, which should be a temporary option until such improvements are complete.

  A PSPS has the possible benefit of preventing downed lines preventing another fire, but it also has many downsides that should be considered and properly balanced before implementing a PSPS. It is not just that house lights are off, refrigerated food has to be thrown out, and other inconveniences. Medical equipment in homes doesn't work, vital communications can't be sent or received, there are special dangers for the elderly, etc.

  With outside temperatures about 10 deg F around sunrise at our home, despite unseasonably warm temperatures in the flatlands, we were forced to drive through Boulder to a hotel in Longmont, through dangerous intersections with no traffic lights or blinking red lights. I'm sure that there must have been increased pedestrian/bicycle accidents and fender-benders. We witnessed mile-long traffic jams (e.g. along US 287, a major Colorado thoroughfare) due to traffic lights that were out or blinking red; this was extremely dangerous (and unnecessary being far away from the strongest winds and days after the wind emergency had ended) because many drivers did not understand how to handle the extremely frustrating situation.

  My wife developed a medical emergency the night of our first outage (Nov. 17th) which was very painful though not life-threatening. But her appointment with her PCP doctor at Kaiser Baseline on Nov. 19th was cancelled because the medical office was closed due to the PSPS. When we went to Kaiser Rock Creek on Dec. 20th to see a doctor, as advised by a telehealth doctor, the building was open, but functions like meeting with a doctor or getting meds from the pharmacy weren't possible: the Rock Creek computer system was down due to the power outage. Hundreds of other patients were similarly turned away, some probably dangerously. Does Xcel take such consequences of a PSPS into consideration?

  I complained in spring 2024 about the absurdly incompetent outage map. Xcel knows (or should know) the exact boundaries of power outage areas. Instead, the outage map -- when working -- shows a single symbol for an outage that might affect thousands of customers including those a dozen miles away from the symbol. The Dec. 17th outage map showed NO SYMBOL within 12 miles of our home when we suddenly experienced an "unplanned outage" (we were not in the PSPS zone that day and probably lost power due to trees falling on power lines). People need to know -- as Xcel certainly knows -- the exact boundaries of outage areas. Is an outage affecting an elderly neighbor who needs attention? If my car is short on gas, which gas stations are in or out of an outage boundary? What medical facilities are outside an outage boundary? Xcel's incompetent outage maps provide zero help on such vital issues.

  But then the badly designed outage map also has no built-in redundancy. During the hour after our Dec. 19th outage began (that day we were in the PSPS zone), we were directed to find more info on the outage map. Of course, that is a lie: the outage map provides no more useful info even when it is working. But during that critical hour for us the outage map was BLANK. There was just a rectangle showing nothing...no streets, no cities, no outage symbols, just plain NOTHING. Later that morning the map was partly restored, but it was badly incomplete. Although many thousands of customers near Nederland were without power, as planned for the PSPS, the closest outage symbol was in the western part of the City of Boulder, up to 20 miles away from affected customers. What kind of info is THAT??? If the outage map is a major part of Xcel communications, there should be REDUNDANT ways to have it available and operating properly. Xcel is badly negligent in having such an incompetent and badly maintained map. I complained about this to Xcel and to the Colorado PUC last year, but nothing was done to fix it.

  On Saturday evening, we and many hundreds of our neighbors received notice that our power had been restored. We in our hotel 35 miles away had no idea if that was true, but there were immediate reports on our neighborhood Google Group that while some people reported restored power, a similar fraction of people reported that their announced restoration hadn't happened -- they still didn't have power. Outrageously and dishonestly, Xcel later showed that there was a "new unplanned outage" in the area that began just at the time they had announced full restoration. The truth was not that that this was a new wind-caused outage but correction of an Xcel communications error.

  Perhaps the windstorm merited activation of a PSPS, but I don't believe that the wide area covered and the duration it remained active was properly balanced against the awful downsides of its implementation in Dec. 2025. It is doubly insulting that Xcel gets away with not reimbursing the massive financial losses for perhaps a quarter million individuals and companies. The PUC must deal more effectively with this out-of-control electric company.
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  Inadequate response by Excel for restoration

  by PatD, 5 months ago

  Having lived in Fl for most of my life I have experienced numerous loss of power incidents due to storms. The big difference between those and these PSPS is the response to restoring power. In hurricane prone areas, power companies from all over the US send trucks and crews ahead of time and are staged to begin working on power restoration asap. The response is massive and noticeable. Here there was virtually no response other than from the local crews, grossly inadequate to restore power to thousands of customers in a short time period. We saw no Excel trucks in... Continue reading

  Having lived in Fl for most of my life I have experienced numerous loss of power incidents due to storms. The big difference between those and these PSPS is the response to restoring power. In hurricane prone areas, power companies from all over the US send trucks and crews ahead of time and are staged to begin working on power restoration asap. The response is massive and noticeable. Here there was virtually no response other than from the local crews, grossly inadequate to restore power to thousands of customers in a short time period. We saw no Excel trucks in N. Boulder until Sunday, and then it was just one. Finally on Monday 3 trucks appeared with a supervisor to "inspect" the lines and power was finally restored. Why can Fl manage to have national assistance and CO none? If there is a planned outage, Excel needs to bring in crews from all their other locations at a minimum, and request multi-agency assistance - in fact this should be mandatory. There is no excuse to plan an outage three days out, and have no concerted plan for restoration that took way too long. This is not a complaint about the shutoff- it's about the restoration process being too tedious, grossly understaffed, completely inadequate and unacceptable.
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  Neighbor in Longmont

  by TraceV, 5 months ago

  I'm a neighbor that lives in Longmont, where I have municipal utilities and experienced exactly zero seconds of power disruption from the same two days of wind storms (my trash can certainly went on a short journey though.)

  
  

  In following the coverage of the wind storm I found out that Xcel energy has posted around $7 billion in profits since 2021. Meanwhile they have been claiming it's prohibitively expensive, to the tune of hundreds of millions, to modernize our infrastructure.

  
  

  From my perspective it looks a lot like Xcel energy has been pocketing the money intended for maintenance while asking... Continue reading

  I'm a neighbor that lives in Longmont, where I have municipal utilities and experienced exactly zero seconds of power disruption from the same two days of wind storms (my trash can certainly went on a short journey though.)

  
  

  In following the coverage of the wind storm I found out that Xcel energy has posted around $7 billion in profits since 2021. Meanwhile they have been claiming it's prohibitively expensive, to the tune of hundreds of millions, to modernize our infrastructure.

  
  

  From my perspective it looks a lot like Xcel energy has been pocketing the money intended for maintenance while asking for rate hikes and doing f*ck all to protect the infrastructure we all use and allow them to own a "regulated monopoly" on.

  
  

  This is theft. Xcel shareholders are stealing from Boulder citizens, and paying out dividends instead of maintaining our shared infrastructure. A profit motive for infrastructure is immoral and should be illegal. It would not surprise me in the slightest if xcel has broken the law for us to end up in this situation and all power infrastructure should be removed from their control.

  
  

  -signed a municipal utilities enjoyer who doesn't have his maintenance fees pocketed by greedy rent-seekers.