The Denver Post reports that Xcel Energy is preparing for public safety power shutoffs that could affect up to 500,000 customers along Colorado’s Front Range as dry, windy weather and elevated wildfire risk move in. The piece, by Lauren Penington and Bruce Finley, details the potential noon Wednesday start, 40 mph gusts, and a long list of counties that could see the lights go out.
According to the Post, Xcel says it does not take proactive shutoffs lightly and will restore power when safe. The utility also plans “enhanced powerline safety settings,” which keep lines energized but more sensitive to faults. Restoration could take hours or days because crews must patrol lines before re-energizing. This would be only the second proactive shutoff here after April 2024, when about 55,000 customers were cut and another 250,000 lost power amid wind events.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Up to 500,000 at risk. The Post lists Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld as potential hit zones. That is a lot of dinner by flashlight.
- Start around noon Wednesday. Gusts near 40 mph trigger a “targeted” shutoff window. Translation: charge your phone and your patience.
- Faster trips, slower fixes. “Enhanced safety settings” make lines more sensitive. That means more blips and longer patrols before power comes back.
- This is becoming a habit. April 2024 saw 55,000 proactively shut off and 250,000 more out from wind. Practice makes imperfect.
- Even without PSPS, expect outages. Xcel warns faults may still cut power, with restoration measured in hours or days. Winter prep should not be hide-and-seek with your furnace.
My Bottom Line
Heads up, Colorado. When the wind blows, Xcel is now planning to pull the plug. I appreciate fire risk. I also appreciate how quickly trial lawyers enter the chat after a blaze. Boards and executives read those billboards, too.
Meanwhile, the state chants electrify everything. The Public Utilities Commission wants you to swap your gas heat for an electric furnace. Then, on a windy December day, the utility cuts the power. If grandma followed the mandate, grandma would be cold. That is not resilience. That is performative policy.
If we are serious, we fortify the grid. Harden the lines. Manage vegetation with urgency. Bury the highest-risk segments where it pencils. Add sectionalizing, sensors, and real maintenance schedules. Build generation that can ride through the weather instead of praying to it. Outages should be a last resort, not a first reflex.
I’m lucky. My power provider is United Power. United Power members are not riding the same roller coaster today. Co-ops that keep reliability front and center prove that grown-up utility governance is possible.
Stop the virtue signaling and start delivering service. Colorado families bought a product called electricity. They did not buy a weather-dependent promise and a lecture.
Source: The Denver Post
