Fri Dec 19 14:00:00 UTC 2025: News Article:
Xcel Energy Warns of Potential Second Public Safety Power Shutoff Friday, Thousands Still Without Power
DENVER – Xcel Energy is preparing for a second public safety power shutoff (PSPS) impacting roughly 69,000 customers across six Colorado counties beginning as early as 5 a.m. Friday. The announcement comes as thousands of customers remain without power following widespread outages that began Wednesday due to extreme winds. Affected counties include Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld.
The initial outages, both planned and unplanned, were triggered by winds gusting over 100 mph in some areas. Xcel initiated a PSPS Wednesday, cutting power to about 50,000 customers to mitigate wildfire risk caused by downed power lines. Simultaneously, many customers experienced unplanned outages due to the storm’s intensity.
As of 11 p.m. Thursday, approximately 6,000 customers are still without power. At the peak of Wednesday’s event, Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy Colorado, reported that over 160,000 customers were affected.
Kenney emphasized that power cannot be immediately restored following a planned shutoff. Crews must physically inspect power lines for damage before re-energizing them. “If there’s a wire that has been damaged and is down on the ground because of the wind, if we were to remotely re-energize that line, you’ve just created the very risk you’re trying to abate. And so we have to physically inspect all of the lines,” Kenney stated.
Xcel has deployed over 1,000 workers, utilizing helicopters, drones, and foot patrols, to assess and repair damaged lines. However, the restoration process is expected to take several days for some customers, and the additional shutoff on Friday will extend restoration timelines.
“Given Friday’s event there will be added days to restoration for some customers, meaning some may experience more than 3 days of being without power,” Xcel said in a news release.
The utility is urging customers to prepare for a potential multi-day outage. Customers can check Xcel’s outage map on their website to determine if their address may be affected.
Other Colorado electric utilities, including Poudre Valley REA and CORE Electric Cooperative, also reported unplanned power outages Wednesday.
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