DENVER, Colo. — Xcel Energy will likely shut off power along the Front Range on Wednesday as a safety precaution due to the strong winds expected that afternoon.
Those gusty winds are expected west of Interstate 25 with near-critical fire weather conditions possible near the base of the foothills, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) out of Boulder.
Gusts may reach 90 mph in the high county and foothills above 9,000 feet and 70 mph at the bottom of the foothills. The winds will be more widespread that evening and Friday, and will impact more communities at lower elevations.
The plains and urban corridor may see more critical fire weather conditions Friday, the NWS reported. The risk for fires is elevated because of recent dry weather and near record-warm temperatures.
In a press release issued Monday morning, Xcel Energy said as a result of these hazardous conditions, it is deciding how it may use two tools to keep communities safe.
One is the Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings, or EPSS, which is expected to be activated on Wednesday, the company said. The EPSS allows for the power lines to remain in service with extra protection settings.
Power lines are more sensitive under EPSS and "can instantly stop the flow of energy if an issue is detected, like a tree branch or other object touching the line," Xcel Energy said. If that happens, the power turns off until a crew can visually inspect the line and ensure it's safe to turn it back on.
In addition to the EPSS, Xcel Energy said it is also planning for a likely Public Safety Power Shutoff, or PSPS, on Wednesday for communities along the Front Range including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties.
Residents can look up their addresses to see if they are part of a PSPS event here.
This means the company will proactively shut off the power in a targeted area for a limited time when wildfire risk is extremely high and EPSS is not enough. The company said in these instances, it would restore power once safe to do so.
The energy company said it has only done a public safety power shutoff once before during a windstorm in April 2024. Around 55,000 people had their power shut off, some outages lasting for days.
The outage prompted outrage from some customers who said they got little to no notice. Governor Jared Polis directed the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to investigate Xcel Energy following the company's preemptive power shutoff.
The seven-month state investigation led to required changes for the energy company, including better communication with the public and critical customers, like hospitals.
The PUC approved Xcel's updated wildfire mitigation plan in August, which includes planned public safety shutoff protocols with more timely notifications.
Andrew Holder, Xcel Energy's Director of Community Relations, said that is why the company is notifying customers 48 hours in advance of this week's potential outage.
"We understand that this is a very impactful decision, and is a decision we do not take lightly. This is a tool that we truly consider as a tool of last resort, but first and foremost, we want to make sure that our communities and our customers stay safe," he said.
Kelly Richardson, an Xcel Energy customer in Broomfield, said a different planned power outage in her neighborhood in February to fix power lines led to an outage of up to eight hours. She said her family spent hundreds of dollars on back up power supplies, like generators.
"There's a lot of people that can't afford to do that," she said. "Xcel kind of has the market cornered. You know... you don't really have a choice."
She said while she understands the safety measures driving potential power outages this week, she hopes the company will work to provide more reliable service to customers.
"I feel like, you know, Colorado's being punished for their lack of keeping up with their own infrastructure," said Richardson.
Xcel Energy said windy conditions on Wednesday are expected to improve around 6 p.m.
“The predicted extreme weather has the potential to cause extensive damage to our electric infrastructure, resulting in extended power outages,” said Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy Colorado. “We are monitoring the situation closely, including the potential for significantly elevated wildfire risk. If needed, we are prepared to perform a targeted Public Safety Power Shut Off as a last resort to protect our customers and communities. As always, our crews will work as quickly and safely as they can to restore power in the event of a PSPS or other weather-related outages.”
The company said it will notify its customers who may be affected by a PSPS and is encouraging them to begin planning sooner than later. You can check Xcel Energy's website for the latest on this week's situation.
In April 2024, Xcel Energy cut power to 55,000 customers around the Denver metro area, leaving some of them without power for several days, after a warning, which some residents said was not enough.
A few days later, the Colorado Public Utility Commission formally opened an investigation into Xcel Energy to probe the decision to implement the precautionary outage, which Gov. Jared Polis said "went incredibly poor."
That commission wrapped the investigation in October and required Xcel Energy to make several improvements. One of those was bettering communication to customers before and throughout a planned power outage.
A disconnected Xcel Energy power line was partially blamed for sparking the destructive 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder County, which grew very quickly due to hurricane-force winds and ended up destroying about 1,000 residences and businesses.
Xcel Energy has argued that their line was not responsible and in September, agreed to pay $640 million to settle a lawsuit with the many people and companies impacted by the blaze.
West Metro Fire posted a list of reminders on Monday morning in case of a power outage:
- People who use medical oxygen should ensure they have full portable tanks. Oxygen concentrators will not work during an outage. (Xcel Energy offers Colorado Medical Assistance Programs to provide extra communications about an PSPS or unplanned outage)
- Always run generators outside and at least 20 feet from a structure. Never use them indoors or in a garage.
- Keep generators away from combustibles, like wood and outdoor furniture.
Xcel Energy also provided a list of recommended items for a home emergency kit:
- battery-powered radio
- flashlights
- batteries
- backup phone chargers
- phone that does not require electricity
- non-electric alarm clock
- bottled water and non-perishable food
- manual can opener
- first-aid kit
- extension cords
___
Powerball ticket worth $500,000 sold in Colorado Springs
Since September, 16 players in Colorado have won nearly $3 million in lottery prizes. The frenzy is on as Monday's Powerball has ballooned to $1.1 billion.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
