The Colorado Public Utility Commission unanimously voted on Wednesday, April 10, to open a comprehensive investigation into the actions and decisions of Xcel Energy during the severe windstorm across the Front Range on April 6-7, 2024.
Anticipating the wildfire threat posed by a live downed power line and expecting winds up to 100 mph, the company preemptively disconnected power for about 55,000 customers, primarily in Boulder County. This marked Xcel Colorado’s first preventive wildfire safety power shutdown in the state.
However, the effort was marred by inadequate communication with Boulder County and City of Boulder emergency services, spurring criticism. Essential facilities, including assisted living homes, schools, shelters and food banks as well as restaurants, were caught off guard, leading to operational difficulties, significant food spoilage and revenue losses. An ambiguous map provided by Xcel of the outage area, coupled with the electric grid’s complex layout that resulted in seemingly random power disruptions, added to the confusion.
Xcel reported that another 100,000 customers experienced power outages due to wind damage that broke power lines during the storm, highlighting the genuine risk of wildfire. Xcel has said the outage averted a wildfire.
The PUC’s investigation will examine Xcel’s operational responses, customer communications and community engagement efforts during the outage.
Specifically, the PUC wants a timeline of critical decisions and events, comprehensive maps illustrating the impact on infrastructure and customers, and a better understanding of the protocols Xcel used for service restoration, among other information.
The PUC is also investigating the utility’s communication with customers during the incident and is requesting an overview of its communication plan and efforts to reach various customers, including residents, businesses and medical facilities dependent on equipment. It wants details on the company’s efforts to coordinate with service providers like telecommunications companies, 911 services, first responders and county-level emergency response teams.
The decision came a day after Gov. Polis called on the Public Utilities Commission to “immediately open a formal docket to fully understand the failures of this past week and to also consider adopting emergency rules that would put in place a higher bar and immediate outreach and notification requirements for planned outages as an interim solution until a long-term strategy is in place.”
The PUC scheduled a public comment hearing on April 17, from 4-6 p.m. You can also share your feedback here.
Read Boulder Reporting Lab’s coverage of the incident:
- Xcel’s power cut may have prevented a wildfire. It also left critical Boulder facilities reeling from avoidable communication lapses.
- Why did your neighbor have power and you didn’t? Boulder’s grid complexity exacerbates confusion over Xcel Energy’s wildfire safety outages
- Polis urges PUC to investigate Xcel’s wildfire prevention outage missteps
- Boulder County power outages: Xcel Energy says residents may not see power restored until Monday or later
- Xcel Energy cuts power in Boulder County to combat wildfire risk amid forecast of dangerously high winds in unprecedented move