Colorado regulators are asking for public feedback on Xcel Energy’s planned power outages last week after the utility company shut off electricity to 100,000 customers along the Front Range to minimize wildfire risks.
The Public Utilities Commission addressed the outages Tuesday morning during its regular weekly meeting with commission chairman Eric Blank acknowledging people’s frustration, but also saying the strong winds blew down hundreds of power lines onto abnormally dry ground.
“I recognize that these Xcel shutoffs disrupted families, schools, businesses, travel and caused substantial losses for many at the same time,” Blank said. “However, there were wind gusts of over 100 mph and there were hundreds of down power lines at a time when the moisture content of the soil was unusually low. Fortunately, there were no catastrophic wildfires, so let’s count our blessings for that.”
The commission is asking people affected by the planned outages — known as Public Safety Power Shutoffs — to fill out an online survey in anticipation of a rulemaking hearing in 2026 that will establish protocols the state’s largest utility company must follow when it decides to cut off power to minimize its wildfire risk.
The survey can be found at tinyurl.com/3w92xrxx.
Xcel turned off power to tens of thousands of homes on Wednesday and Friday to minimize its wildfire risks because of extreme weather. But residents who were impacted grew frustrated over Xcel’s lack of communication about what was happening and how long they could expect electricity to be off.
Fewer than 200 residents, mostly in Boulder County, remained without electricity as of Monday night, according to Xcel’s power outage map.
The outages caused schools and businesses, including a ski resort, to close, and RTD was forced to suspend some light rail service in Jefferson County. The outages drew criticism from Gov. Jared Polis, who called for better transparency and clearer communication to customers.
The utility company instituted the preemptive power shutoffs after the 2021 Marshall fire, when wind gusts fueled a massive blaze through dry open space and into heavily populated areas in Louisville and Superior. In September, Xcel agreed to a $640 million settlement in connection with the fire.
Last week was the second time the power company instituted the shutoffs.
Xcel on Tuesday posted a message on the social media website X to thank customers for their patience and support during the windstorms, which damaged power lines and utility poles.
“We know being without power is disruptive and can be frustrating, so we take the decision to implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) very seriously, and we only take that step in the most extreme situations,” the company stated on X.
The Public Utilities Commission was restrained in its comments on Tuesday, striking a balance between understanding the dangerous situation while also acknowledging the need for regulations on how Xcel manages its power shutoffs.
“Obviously, we’ve been dealing with unseasonably warm weather throughout the entire state and have been free of any moisture for far too long. So it’s a very difficult weather circumstance,” commissioner Megan Gilman said. “We’ll obviously be looking after the fact at how all the details went with regard to the PSPS, but also the outages that followed as a result of the wind event. But we could really use some help from Mother Nature here, too, to ease the conditions that made this so particularly dangerous.”
Denver and the Front Range are experiencing a record-setting hot and dry snow season. A Nov. 29 snow was the second-latest on record for Denver, and this year’s season is off to a particularly poor snowpack, sitting at 70% of the median recorded between 1991 and 2020, according to data collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Water and Climate Center.
Blank said his home lost power both days last week and his family was forced to throw away food that spoiled in the refrigerator and freezer. He suggested the commission consider asking Xcel to reimburse customers to offset at least some of those losses during emergency power shutoffs.
The commissioners also questioned how households that require electricity to power medical equipment fared. The PUC previously had instructed Xcel to work with local health departments to identify those customers and provide backup power to them. However, the commissioners said they were not sure how far along Xcel was in that process since these power shutoffs are a relatively new wildfire prevention strategy.
Xcel previously agreed to a set of protocols about its Public Safety Power Shutoffs, including providing the public 72 hours’ advance notice of the potential for outages and coordinating with local governments to ensure hospitals, water treatment facilities and other critical infrastructure could operate.
In 2026, the Public Utilities Commission plans to create permanent rules for the public safety outages although it will not take up the role of approving or denying the utility company’s decisions to temporarily turn off electricity.
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