Power outages Xcel customers Colorado

Over 150,000 Xcel customers lost power in Colorado due to high winds and service shutdowns, with restoration expected by Monday.

This past weekend, over 150,000 Xcel customers in Colorado experienced power outages due to a combination of high winds and deliberate service shut-offs by the company. Xcel estimates that it may take until Monday, or possibly longer, to fully restore power to all affected customers.

Spokesperson Tyler Bryant stated that around 100,000 customers lost power due to extreme winds, while an additional 55,000 customers in six counties had their power turned off as a precautionary measure to reduce wildfire risk. This decision resulted in energy loss across more than 600 miles of power lines, requiring crews to visually inspect the lines before reactivating power.

As of Sunday morning, there were over 800 outages affecting more than 77,500 customers in the Denver metro area, with Boulder and Fort Collins also experiencing significant outages. Other areas such as Loveland, Greeley, Sterling, Brush, Idaho Springs, and Leadville reported scattered outages as well.

Xcel reported that as of Sunday evening, crews had restored power to approximately 63,000 customers, with over 87,000 still without power statewide. Some customers expressed doubt about the accuracy of the company's outage map on social media platforms.

Residents across central Colorado faced challenges due to the power outages caused by the high winds. Eric Marburger in Centennial mentioned that two pine trees knocked over a power line in his neighborhood, potentially leaving them without power for days. Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett shared that his household lost power on Saturday afternoon, with some parts of downtown Boulder still experiencing outages on Sunday morning.

In Denver, several blocks of South Broadway were dark on Saturday evening, with businesses closing early due to the power outages. Residents like Meredith Brown in southwest Denver's Harvey Park neighborhood were left without power on Saturday night, uncertain of when it would be restored.

As customers navigate through the uncertainty of power restoration timelines, many are left wondering if they should invest in generators to mitigate the impact of future outages. The situation has been described as chaotic and challenging for those affected by the power outages.

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