Public hearing on Xcel’s preemptive outages to be held Wednesday
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BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — A public hearing will take place on Wednesday for state officials and the public to learn more about Xcel Energy’s recent decision to shut off power for about 55,000 customers earlier this month in the Boulder County area.
The shutoff was preemptively done to prevent a fire from sparking amid high winds, according to the utility company. Xcel says it takes similar measures in California and Texas; however, this is the first time preemptive shutoffs have happened in Colorado.
Xcel will only use this strategy during “extraordinary circumstances,” the company said. It will not be used every time there’s a red flag warning.
Customers and Boulder County officials have criticized the company’s communication both ahead of and during the shutoff.
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“It’s one thing if you lose power for just a couple of hours, but for two days, you’re looking at a big financial hit,” Boulder County Commissioner Claire Levy said.
At nearly the close of business on April 9, Gov. Jared Polis shared that he sent a letter to Xcel expressing his and many Coloradans’ frustration with the power shutoff, slow restoration and insufficient communications.
“I share the disappointment and frustration of many fellow Coloradans who were and continue to be impacted by Xcel Energy Colorado’s decision to proactively de-energize parts of the electric system in anticipation of a significant wind storm the weekend of April 6, 2024,” Polis wrote to Xcel.
How to tune into the hearing
Now, at Polis’ request, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission is investigating Xcel’s actions.
A public hearing is scheduled from 4-7 p.m. on Wednesday. The commission said it wants to hear your experience and input on this event.
If you would like to join and speak at the meeting, you can register via Zoom. If you would like to tune into the meeting to hear the discussion, you can watch the stream on the Colorado Public Utilities Commission’s YouTube.
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