Afraid of lawsuits

We have lived in our part of Boulder County for more than 20 years. In all that time we have experienced high winds but only rarely have we lost power, maybe 5 or 6 times in total. Previous to this year the longest time power was out was during the Marshal Fire, 24 hours. But that was exceptional - most outages lasting an hour or two at most.

However, this year alone we have experienced long outages, sometimes without any apparent cause. On March 28th our power went out at 7:30 am and was not restored until 3:30 am. It was not particularly windy. Though I reported the outage on the Xcel app, there was no explanation or estimated restoration time. We assumed there was a service upgrade, as we could see Xcel trucks in the area at one point.

However, on April 6th our power was shut off at around 6:30 am, way before the winds picked up. I reported it on the Xcel app, but again - no other feedback nor restoration time. In the afternoon our outage disappeared from the map, though we had no power. There was a complete breakdown of Xcel's communications. What more can I say? Our power was out for about 36 hours. I had to throw away around $250 worth of food, especially from the freezer.

It might have been much worse, as we still have a gas stove and could cook at home. But we had no way whatsoever to prepare, and no information whatsoever from Xcel. For such a large company they should be able to scale up their communications efforts.

In fact, at times I imagined they were punishing Boulder for the city's efforts to establish an independent utility. Up to this point I have supported Xcel, whose efforts to restore power lines after the flood of 2013, and after the disastrous 4 Mile Fire, were stellar and could be attributed to the scale of the company. This is 2024. How difficult would it be for them to create a more robust communications network?