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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 “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” on FacebookShare “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” on TwitterShare “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” on LinkedinEmail “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” link
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
Share Xcel communications have gotten WORSE in Dec. 2025 compared with Apr. 2024 on FacebookShare Xcel communications have gotten WORSE in Dec. 2025 compared with Apr. 2024 on TwitterShare Xcel communications have gotten WORSE in Dec. 2025 compared with Apr. 2024 on LinkedinEmail Xcel communications have gotten WORSE in Dec. 2025 compared with Apr. 2024 link
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
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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
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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
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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.
