Preemptive Power Shut Downs--cure is worse than the disease

Excel Energy did not handle the shutdowns well, and I question the effectiveness of preemptive shutdowns.

If Excel Energy cuts off power to residents, Excel needs to actively monitor wind speeds and wait to shut off power until high winds actually occur. Excel Energy turned off the power to our house in North Boulder at 3 pm when winds were mild, but winds actually picked up speed about five hours later, around 8 or 9 pm that night. After the winds died down around 5 am on Sunday, our power was not restored until around 3 pm that day. Our house was unnecessarily without power for nearly 24 hours. Food in my refrigerator spoiled, and I could not work and prepare as usual for my teaching job because our power was still down. The lack of power in my house presented another safety issue because my landline did not work. I often lost cell phone service for hours because cell reception in my home does not always work, and I rely on wifi for communication. Had a fire occurred, I would not have been able to receive any emergency communication indicating that we would need to evacuate. Traffic lights, grocery stores, food banks, and hospitals lost power for nearly 24 hours. Driving around Boulder became very dangerous without functioning traffic lights. Still, I was forced to leave my house and drive through hazardous traffic conditions in Boulder to feed my family because my stove had no energy, and the food in my refrigerator began to spoil.

I must also understand why Excel chose my neighborhood for a power shutdown. Will Excel Energy shut down power to my neighborhood every time we experience high winds? How many times a year will my power be shut down for days on end? I live in an area in Boulder where most of our power lines are underground. It made no sense to shut down the power in our neighborhood. I also don’t see how a power shutdown of 55,000 homes makes a difference in safety when so many neighborhoods a few blocks away are left with power. It felt like Excel Energy was experimenting on Boulder and trying to create an appearance of safety, but it was a false sense of safety because most of the Front Range kept power. In fact, it felt as if Excel Energy was targeting Boulder, CO, in retaliation for lawsuits filed against Excel Energy by Boulder, CO. Since most of the power to the Front Range was not shut down, many question why Boulder became a target for these shutdowns. High winds occurred all along the Front Range and Foothills on April 6. The only way to ensure safety from power lines is to shut down everyone’s power in a large area simultaneously. But if we’re shutting down the power in so many places, we’re trading one risk for other risks. I believe these preemptive power line shutdowns are an example of a cure being worse than the disease.

Colorado is a high-wind state. These preemptive power shutdowns are not the solution. I now live in fear that Excel Energy will shut off my power multiple times a year. What about wintertime? Will Excel Energy shut down my power in the winter when it gets windy and cause the pipes in my house to freeze and burst, thereby causing expensive damage to my home? Please protect consumers from this sort of treatment by Excel Energy. The real solution is for Excel Energy to put all its power lines underground. Excel Energy and Colorado need to commit to moving all power lines underground. These energy shutdowns are disastrous.