Xcel Energy has initiated a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) for customers in Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties due to severe weather conditions. The National Weather Service has issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) designation as extreme fire weather is expected to continue until at least 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday evening, with high winds possibly causing additional outages beyond that time.
Restoration efforts cannot begin until weather conditions improve. Crews must visually inspect lines, assess and repair damage before safely restoring power—a process that could take several days depending on the extent of the damage. Xcel Energy reports that since Wednesday, power has been restored to over 200,000 customers. However, many customers may remain without power for several days as restoration continues through the weekend.
“Turning off the power is not a decision made lightly, and restoration will begin as soon as it is safe for crews to begin working. This effort could take several days to complete. Crews must inspect power lines and repair damage before they can be safely re-energized. As crews restore power, the public is reminded to give them the space they need to do their job safely and efficiently,” Xcel Energy stated.
The company emphasized that PSPS events are used to reduce wildfire risk and protect public safety by relying on weather forecasts and data such as high winds, low humidity, and dry ground conditions—all present in this event.
The National Weather Service’s PDS alert applies especially to elevations between 5,500 and 9,000 feet in Jefferson and Boulder Counties—its highest risk categorization reserved for rare weather events.
Customers are reminded that even those living in areas with underground power lines or no visible local damage can still experience outages because of how neighborhoods connect to the larger grid system.
Xcel Energy is collaborating with the American Red Cross and local emergency management offices to open resource centers for affected customers. These centers offer phone charging stations and emergency supplies at various locations including Evergreen Fire Station, Gilpin County School, Wellspring Catholic Academy in Lakewood, and Idaho Springs Health and Wellness Center.
Customers are encouraged to report outages or damaged lines via multiple channels: the Xcel Energy mobile app (available on Apple App Store or Google Play), online at xcelenergy.com/out, by texting OUT or STAT to 98936 for outage status updates, or by calling 1-800-895-1999.
To prepare for extended outages, Xcel Energy advises customers to keep phones charged and have an emergency kit with essentials like flashlights, batteries, bottled water, non-perishable food items, manual can openers, first aid kits, extension cords for partial outages, instructions for manually opening powered doors such as garage doors—and a phone that does not require electricity. Customers who rely on electric-powered medical equipment are urged to make preparations using resources such as Xcel Energy’s medical exemption program (https://co.my.xcelenergy.com/s/billing-payment/energy-assistance/medical-exemption-program).
In recent years Xcel Energy has invested in wildfire mitigation efforts across its system infrastructure. In 2024 alone these included replacing over 8,300 distribution poles; inspecting more than 18,700 poles; reviewing nearly 2,900 miles of transmission lines; completing hundreds of priority repairs; and installing new substation protection relays.
Xcel Energy serves millions of customers across eight states from its headquarters in Minneapolis. The company states: “We are committed to leading the clean energy transition… meeting our customers’ need for more cleaner power while keeping bills as low as possible.”
