Colorado governor and AG blast Xcel for power shutoffs

Catch up quick: Xcel implemented precautionary power shutdowns on Wednesday and Friday, both of which saw wind gusts exceeding 100 mph in parts of the state.

• The utility warned residents that restoring power could take hours to days depending on the inspection of lines.

Friction point: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Friday released a statement expressing his disappointment with the communication and restoration times surrounding the outages.

• "No Coloradan should be wondering if they will or will not have power, and when it may be turned on again, or worse, receive no communication or confusing communication," Polis said.
• Meanwhile, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who is running for governor next year, criticized the outages for their impact on residents and businesses: "Xcel shutoffs shouldn't be this way."

The other side: Xcel Energy in a release said it made the shutoff decision due to the extreme fire dangers posed by the windstorm.

• The National Weather Service issued a "particularly dangerous situation" fire warning on Friday, the first warning of its kind in Colorado.

• "Turning off the power is not a decision we take lightly and our crews are working safely and diligently to restore power as quickly as possible," said Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy Colorado.

Context: Xcel has only attempted preemptive outages once before, in 2024, and the utility received similar complaints about communication and business impact.

• A downed Xcel power line was deemed partially responsible for starting the 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder County.

What's next: The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is collecting feedback on the outages.

• The PUC does not approve or deny Xcel's use of proactive shutoffs but is involved in making sure communication, preparation and coordination of shutdowns are protective of customers.