Xcel Energy has initiated a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) for approximately 50,000 customers in Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties due to extreme wildfire risk. The action follows high winds in Colorado, with gusts reaching up to 91 miles per hour.
The company is also preparing for another possible PSPS event on Friday, December 19. Forecasts indicate that high winds, dry ground conditions, and low relative humidity may affect mountain communities and the Front Range starting as early as 5 a.m. Some areas could be without power for more than three days if Friday’s storm overlaps with current outages.
Xcel Energy uses weather forecasts and other data to assess wildfire risk and determine when to implement safety shutoffs. The company stated that high winds, low humidity, and dry ground are key factors in their decision-making process.
In response to the outages in Jefferson County, Xcel Energy is collaborating with the American Red Cross and local authorities to open two resource centers for affected customers. These centers will operate today and tomorrow from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., offering phone charging stations and support from Xcel Energy staff at the following locations: Evergreen Library at 5000 County Hwy 73 in Evergreen and Belmar Library at 555 S. Allison Parkway in Lakewood.
Hundreds of Xcel Energy crew members and contractors are positioned along the Front Range to restore power as quickly as possible once it is safe to do so. Restoration times may be delayed due to ongoing severe weather conditions or necessary safety inspections of power lines before service can resume.
The company emphasized the importance of public cooperation during restoration efforts: “As crews begin restoring power to those affected by today’s severe weather and PSPS event, please remember to give them the space they need to do their job safely and efficiently.”
Customers are encouraged to report outages or any visible damage to power lines through several channels: via the Xcel Energy mobile app available on Apple App Store or Google Play; online at xcelenergy.com/out; by texting OUT or STAT to 98936; or by calling 1-800-895-1999.
To stay informed about outages and estimated restoration times, customers can check updates on Xcel Energy’s website or follow the company on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Customers are also advised to keep their account information current through My Account.
For preparedness during outages, Xcel Energy recommends having an emergency kit ready with essentials such as battery-powered radios, flashlights, batteries, backup chargers, bottled water, non-perishable food items, manual can openers, first aid kits, extension cords for partial outages, instructions for manually opening powered doors like garage doors, and relevant contact numbers. Customers who rely on electrically powered medical equipment should take extra precautions ahead of potential extended outages.
Xcel Energy has invested in wildfire mitigation measures since 2020. In 2024 alone, these efforts included replacing over 8,300 distribution poles; inspecting nearly 18,800 distribution poles; reviewing more than 2,800 miles of transmission lines; completing hundreds of priority repairs on transmission equipment; and installing additional substation protection relays.
“Xcel Energy recognizes a significant number of customers are likely to experience an outage, and that such events are highly disruptive,” said the company in its statement. “The company’s goal is to limit the impact of a PSPS event as much as possible while effectively managing high wildfire risk and will continue to communicate updates through the event including outage and restoration information.”
Xcel Energy serves millions of customers across eight states—Minnesota, Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico and Texas—and remains committed “to leading the clean energy transition,” according to its corporate profile.
