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Tag: power shutoffs

  • Xcel Energy customers invest in their own backup power sources amid threat of another safety shutoff

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    BOULDER, Colo. — Xcel Energy is telling its customers to prepare for possibility of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) amid critical fire weather forecasted for the Front Range and most of eastern Colorado next week.

    In Boulder, the December shutoffs were disruptive for residents and costly for businesses.

    It’s prompted many to invest in their own backup power sources.

    “You know, it’s a trend,” said Boulder resident Bart Windrum, referring to investments his neighbors have made to avoid having a house without power.

    This weekend, Windrum is making sure his generator and transfer switch are ready to go. In case of an outage, the transfer switch allows him to power parts of his home.

    Jacob Curtis, Denver7 Photojournalist

    “It’s like the burden is being shifted to us, right?” Windrum said.

    In an email Saturday morning, Xcel Energy told customers to “take steps to prepare for potential wildfires and power outages now.”

    However, Xcel has yet to confirm with Denver7 whether it plans to implement any safety shutoffs in the coming days.

    Jonathan Singer with Boulder’s Chamber of Commerce believes communication from the utility company is paramount, especially given the financial impact on local businesses.

    “We know the weather may not always be predictable, but the communication lines should be,” Singer said.

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    Jacob Curtis, Denver7 Photojournalist

    Singer told Denver7 Saturday that any shutoffs need to be as localized as possible and customers need advance notice.

    After December’s shutoffs cost some businesses an average of $25,000 each in losses, he said business owners are also taking proactive measures.

    “We have businesses that are buying additional refrigeration equipment,” Singer said.

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    Xcel tells customers to prepare for shutoffs as dangerous fire conditions loom

    Meanwhile, Xcel customers like Windrum say the threat of another planned power shutoff means something needs to change.

    “Spend more money, faster, smarter and make it so that I don’t have to have all this hassle to create my own electricity during these emergencies,” Windrum said when asked for his message to Xcel Energy representatives.

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    Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Claire Lavezzorio

    Denver7’s Claire Lavezzorio covers topics that have an impact across Colorado, but specializes in reporting on stories in the military and veteran communities. If you’d like to get in touch with Claire, fill out the form below to send her an email.

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  • Customers push back on Xcel power shutoffs during Public Utilities Commission feedback session Wednesday

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    DENVER — Frustrations and anger continue to linger surrounding Xcel Energy’s prolonged power shutoffs over the past two months.

    Xcel said these were necessary to mitigate wildfire risks amid dangerous weather, but customers got the chance to air out frustrations Wednesday directly to Public Utilities Commission (PUC) leaders — who oversee Xcel.

    During the Wednesday online public comment session, community members, business owners and city leaders all shared similar sentiments. They agreed these had to happen to keep us safe in windy conditions, but said shutting off power cannot be the only solution going forward.

    “If we’re here as local communities to save lives and protect our communities, we have to be able to prioritize our resources. And we can’t do that when the utility tells us they’re going to trigger a mass disaster by shutting down our entire city and the entire front range.” Boulder’s Deputy City Manager Chris Meschul said.

    Some of the impacts from the shutoff included business owners losing thousands of dollars in inventory and revenue and people like Jan Rose, who attended the meeting, being left in the cold and dark for days.

    “If Xcel would put some skin in the game and take some responsibility for the fact that they are a public service company. I expect them to buy at their expense, without a repair charge, a fleet of refrigerator trucks and haul them into communities where they intend to shut off power, to save everybody’s food,” Rose said.

    This was all part of Xcel’s wildfire mitigation plan, which was approved in 2025.

    But now, the plan is to take feedback like we heard in Wednesday’s meeting and create new rules.

    A spokesperson for PUC told Denver7 the rules will go into effect by the end of this year for all utility companies regulated by the commission, including Xcel and Black Hills.

    Xcel Energy sent Denver7 a statement in response that said in part:

    “We recognize the significant impacts Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) have had on residents, businesses and municipal operations, and we appreciate our customers’ feedback as we all work towards keeping our communities safe. We know being without power is disruptive and can be frustrating, so we take the decision to implement a PSPS very seriously.

    Beyond the PSPS events, hurricane-force winds in some areas damaged power poles and other infrastructure, leading to additional power outages… Once conditions improved, our crews worked 16-hour shifts to restore power to nearly 350,000 customers throughout the week and weekend…

    While we stand by our decision to prioritize safety, we acknowledge there are areas for improvement.
    Our teams continue to review the lessons learned from these events and will work with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to address customer concerns.”

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    Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Allie Jennerjahn

    Denver7’s Allie Jennerjahn covers stories that have an impact in all of Colorado’s communities, but specializes in reporting on crime, corruption and ways to protect your family. If you’d like to get in touch with Allie, fill out the form below to send her an email.

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  • Boulder County residents enter day four without power as community steps in

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    BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — Four days after hurricane‑force winds tore through Boulder County, families still without power are leaning on neighbors and volunteers to get through the cold, dark aftermath.

    Boulder County was hit with gusts reaching 112mph on Friday morning, causing extensive damage and severe power outages.

    “It’s really hard. It’s pretty hard times,” said Mayte Cerceda, a Boulder County resident who woke up in the dark this morning as she and her family entered day 4 without power. “At night it’s really cold.”

    The one question she and her family have been asking is “When will the power be back?”

    Cerceda said her family spent Saturday morning throwing out all the food in their fridge, completely clearing it out, after losing power on Wednesday.

    She said her family couldn’t find a solution during this difficult time.

    That’s when Pinewood Church got involved to help.

    “My family went on a walk in our neighborhood last night after some of the winds had died down. It was so intense, like going outside. It was so windy,” said Jess Manuel, the Lead Pastor at Pinewood Church and a Boulder County resident herself.

    “We started seeing trees on cars and houses, and so that’s kind of when it hit us. ‘Hey, we don’t see anyone out here. We should try to see what kind of relief efforts we can do,” she recalled.

    Pinewood Church announced Saturday that it would begin relief efforts for people impacted by the strong winds.

    They brought volunteers together to repair damage and pack food for those who lost theirs during the outages.

    Manuel said she wants people to know they are not alone.

    “We have teams that are willing and ready. We have about 150 people on our serve team that are ready to go as soon as they get the message,” she exclaimed.

    But while they’re lending a helping hand, Manuel and some of the other volunteers are dealing with similar situations at home.

    Local

    Back‑to‑back windstorms batter Colorado, leave tens of thousands without power

    Manuel said she lost power on Wednesday, then it came back on for a little while on Thursday night before immediately turning off again.

    “We don’t have a signal at our house. We don’t have Wi Fi,” she said. “The entire rubber roof of our house is completely gone, and so thankfully, it didn’t rain last night.”

    Manuel said her home was not originally a part of Xcel’s planned shut-offs.

    “I think that was kind of everyone’s story. Even if you weren’t in the shut off, you kind of got shut off,” she said.

    Mike Hegarty, one of the volunteers who showed up with Pinewood Church for relief efforts Saturday morning, said he did not have power either, saying he lost it early Friday morning.

    Regardless, he believes it’s important to help others.

    “This was just sort of a natural thing for us when there’s an emergency,” he said. “I’m just happy to be here, happy to be able to help the community.”

    He and others are helping families like Cerceda’s find a solution.

    “It makes us feel good, because now we have a little bit of a source of help,” Cerceda said.

    To volunteer with Pinewood Church, text VOLUNTEER to +18332854418 or visit their website.

    Boulder County residents enter day four without power as community steps in

    Denver7

    Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Lauren Lennon

    Denver7 morning reporter Lauren Lennon tells stories that impact all of Colorado’s communities, specializing in stories of affordability. If you’d like to get in touch with Lauren, fill out the form below to send her an email.

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