When Xcel Energy decided to cut power to customers earlier this month, more than 168,000 people across nine front range counties endured traffic havoc when signals went down, sent to waste untold amounts of refrigerated goods and scaring medical patients who needed that power.
Officials intentionally shut down some 600 miles of power lines to reduce the chances of a wind-sparked wildfire when gusts of up to 100 mph raced across Colorado's Front Range April 6.
Xcel reported more than 110 power poles and 68,000 feet of wire were damaged by powerful winds.
On Monday, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission opened an investigation of the intentional shutdown, the first in Colorado history, pursuant to a letter from Gov. Jared Polis directing the PUC to “to seek reforms to protect customers in the event of future Public Safety Power Shutoffs.”
“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,” said Polis in his letter to Xcel last week.
The PUC is now soliciting public comment on the incident and will hold an online public comment session 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 17.
“As Governor Polis noted in his letter to Xcel Energy, shutting off power to customers is a serious and challenging decision,” said Chair Eric Blank in a news release. “A decision this impactful requires a high level of concern and attention for customers. We want to make sure that the Commission sets those expectations and holds our utilities accountable.”
The meeting will continue until all parties are heard. The PUC also accepts emails and voice mail messages, which are transcribed into the official record of the proceeding.
Click to register to speak at the hearing.
A livestream of the hearing is available. (YouTube recordings are also available after the meeting.)
Phone voice mail messages may be left at PUC's consumer affairs office at 303-894-2070 or 800-456-0858.
Comments are also welcome anytime on the Commission’s online platform.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.