Xcel Energy is preparing for a possible Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) that may take place on December 17 to reduce wildfire risk in Colorado’s Front Range region. The company announced it is evaluating which areas and how many customers could be affected, as strong winds and drought conditions are forecasted. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning due to the weather event.
The planned outage could begin around 10:00 a.m., affecting about 50,000 customers across Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties. Xcel Energy stated that updated risk assessments and recent improvements to its grid infrastructure have allowed it to limit the size of the impacted area. The start time for the shutoff was moved up from noon to 10:00 a.m. because of changing weather conditions.
Weather conditions prompting the PSPS are expected to improve by Wednesday evening, but strong winds that increase wildfire risk may continue through Friday. Xcel Energy cautioned that unplanned outages could also occur outside of designated PSPS zones due to high winds, potentially affecting restoration times.
According to Xcel Energy, “After a preventive shutoff or when other weather-related outages occur on the system, restoration work will begin once strong winds have subsided and fire risk has decreased. Restoring service can take several hours or even days since crews must inspect every power line before re-energizing.”
The company emphasized its goal is “to minimize the impact of a scheduled supply interruption (PSPS) as much as possible while effectively managing high wildfire risk.” Customers will receive further updates tomorrow morning and throughout the event via Xcel Energy’s website and social media channels.
Xcel Energy recommends customers prepare by keeping devices charged and assembling an emergency kit with essentials such as battery-powered radios, flashlights, portable phone chargers, bottled water, non-perishable food, manual can openers, first aid kits, extension cords for partial outages, instructions for manually opening electric doors like garage doors, and important contact numbers.
Customers who rely on medical equipment powered by electricity are urged to make necessary preparations for potential extended outages. Xcel Energy noted it will provide additional communications targeted at medically vulnerable customers.
To report outages or check status updates, customers can use Xcel Energy’s mobile app available on Apple App Store and Google Play; visit xcelenergy.com/out; text OUT or STAT to 98936; or call 1-800-895-1999.
Xcel Energy states it continues investing in its systems to reduce wildfire risks and limit both the scope and duration of possible outages. The company serves millions of customers across eight states from its headquarters in Minneapolis. More information is available at xcelenergy.com.
“Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) is a leading energy provider dedicated to serving millions of customers with excellence. We make energy work better for our customers—helping them thrive every day. That means always raising the bar—delivering better service and providing more reliable, resilient and sustainable energy,” according to the company statement.
“We are committed to leading the clean energy transition—meeting our customers’ need for cleaner energy while keeping bills as low as possible. This commitment is because the people we serve depend on us to power their lives.”
“With headquarters in Minneapolis, we work every day to generate and deliver electricity and gas across eight states: Minnesota, Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico and Texas.”
For more details or updates during adverse weather events visit xcelenergy.com or follow Xcel Energy on social media platforms.
