When will power be restored in Colorado? Xcel Energy is unsure
DENVER (KDVR) — This weekend’s severe wind storm caused power outages for over 150,000 Coloradans.
Xcel Energy preemptively shut off power for 55,000 customers to prevent wildfires, and others were without power due to the weather, with wind taking down trees and power lines.
Some have their power restored, but tens of thousands are still without electricity Sunday night. So, when will power be restored?
Where power outages are affecting thousands of Coloradans Sunday
To make a long answer short; it depends, and in most cases, power companies are unsure as of Sunday night. But some information has been released.
Here’s what FOX31 has gathered from a number of sources.
Why hasn’t power been restored yet?
Xcel Energy said in a press release Sunday evening that more than 400 crew members were out working to restore power “quickly and safely.”
As of 5:45 p.m., crews had restored power for some 63,000 customers. As of 7 p.m., 1,039 outages were affecting 75,995 customers, according to the Xcel Energy outage map.
Xcel said crews must first visually inspect powerlines before power can be restored.
“As you might imagine if there is damage to a line caused by the high winds, we can’t re-energize that line until we physically put our eyes on it so we can make sure that it’s safe to reenergize,” Xcel Energy Colorado President Robert Kenney said Saturday.
Photos: Extreme winds wreak havoc across Denver, the Front Range
Additionally, Xcel said it used a wildfire safety setting to help reduce the risk of wildfire during the wind event.
“Typically, when there is an issue that causes a power outage on a line, such as a tree branch contacting a power line, equipment on the system will attempt to restore power automatically, usually within a few seconds,” Xcel said. “During this extreme weather event, Xcel Energy changed the settings on those systems in many areas to prevent the automatic restoration of power.”
Instead, crews will patrol powerlines to ensure that it is safe to re-energize the line.
“This safety measure means power outages are likely to last longer than they typically would,” Xcel said.
Poudre Valley REA said its crews were also inspecting lines to ensure it is safe before restoring power.
When will power be restored?
As of Sunday night, it’s unclear exactly when power will be restored across Colorado.
Poudre Valley REA said it is hoping to get most of its customers’ power back on by Sunday night, particularly in the following areas:
Crystal Lakes
Granite Canyon
Soldier Canyon near Lory State Park
Boulder County
As of 8:30 p.m., 436 PVREA customers were without power.
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Xcel Energy has not specified when power will be restored as of Sunday night, however, the company said it will last into Monday for some.
“With the significant number of outages from this weather event, this restoration process will extend into Monday, April 8 and possibly longer for some customers,” Xcel said.
Sunday morning at 10 a.m., Xcel reported 961 outages affecting 149,492 customers. As of 9:30 p.m., the outage map showed 1,049 outages impacting 58,203 customers.
Sunday evening, Xcel was assessing damage for many of the outages.
Xcel told FOX31 that some residents may not have received notifications if they did not enter the correct information into the system. Customers can update information or sign up to receive updates online.
Xcel advises customers to unplug appliances containing electronic components to prevent damage as power is being restored, including things like televisions, microwaves and computers.
“If you see downed power lines, stay away and call 911,” Xcel said. “Also check for damages to your electric service mast, which is a pipe mounted to the house through which the electric service wires run. If there are damages to the mast, you must contact a licensed electrician to make repairs before we can restore service.”
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