Xcel Energy crews have restored power to more than half of the 89,000 customers in Colorado who lost electricity after strong winds swept through the state on Friday. The company expects most affected customers will have service back by 10 p.m., though some, especially those in and around Evergreen, may experience outages into Sunday due to severe damage and challenging locations.
The extreme weather led Xcel Energy to implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) across several counties including Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld. Additional outages occurred for customers not initially impacted by the PSPS.
“This weather event received the rare designation from the National Weather Service of ‘Particularly Dangerous Situation’ and put our customers and communities at risk of wildfires, damage and outages. We understand how difficult it is to be without electricity for any period of time and we are proud of the work our crews have done this week to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. The work is not finished, and we want our customers to know that we are committed to completing the job,” said Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy—Colorado.
Xcel Energy has been providing regular updates throughout the week and will continue as restoration efforts progress. The company emphasizes safety for its crews during repairs and asks customers to help keep workers safe as they restore power.
Customers are urged to report downed lines or damaged poles directly to Xcel Energy and stay clear of these hazards.
To support those affected by outages caused by high winds this week, Xcel Energy is working with the American Red Cross and local emergency management offices to provide resource centers where residents can charge phones or access other emergency supplies. Locations include Gilpin County Overnight Shelter in Black Hawk (open 24 hours), Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Golden (open Saturday until 6 p.m.), and Evergreen Fire Station (open Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon). Xcel Energy’s RED trucks will also be present at these sites offering information and assistance.
Customers can report outages or damage using several methods: through Xcel Energy’s mobile app available on Apple App Store or Google Play; online at xcelenergy.com/out; via text by sending OUT or STAT to 98936; or by calling 1-800-895-1999 for automated reporting.
Updates about ongoing events can be found on Xcel Energy’s Event Updates webpage. Customers are encouraged to check their account information in My Account for communication preferences, consult outage maps for real-time status updates, or follow Xcel Energy on Facebook or X for further information.
Public Safety Power Shutoff events like this one aim to reduce wildfire risks using data such as weather forecasts indicating strong winds, low humidity, and dry ground conditions—all factors present during this incident. Even neighborhoods with underground lines may be affected depending on their connection within the broader grid.
Since launching its Wildfire Mitigation program in 2020, Xcel Energy has invested significantly in system improvements intended to limit fire risk as well as outage size and duration. In 2024 alone these measures included replacing over 8,300 distribution poles; inspecting nearly 19,000 poles; checking almost 2,900 miles of transmission lines; making hundreds of priority equipment repairs; and installing new protective relays at substations.
Xcel Energy serves millions across eight states including Colorado from its headquarters in Minneapolis.
