Courtesy of Michael Mehiel
Audio By Carbonatix
Over 100,000 Coloradans were left in the dark this past week amid power shutoffs by Xcel Energy.
Xcel de-energized power lines in several Front Range counties on Wednesday, December 17, and Friday, December 19. The outages were a precaution as the region was hit with severe winds as strong as 112 miles per hour, causing high fire danger. The move came on the heels of the 2021 Marshall fire in Boulder County, which authorities determined was partially sparked by an unmoored Xcel power line.
Wednesday’s shutoff and weather-related outages impacted around 120,000 customers in Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties, according to Xcel. Friday’s shutoff impacted around 70,000 customers in the same counties, with some not having power until Monday, December 22.
Now, some of them are speaking out.
“This was nothing short of an absolute nightmare, all to protect Xcel from liability,” one Golden resident wrote on Saturday. “I feel absolutely taken advantage of by my public utility company. …The way they treated us was terrible. I can’t believe this is legal.”
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission is collecting feedback like this following the power shutoffs.
Over a thousand residents have submitted responses so far, some alleging that they went five straight days without electricity. According to Xcel, it can take several days to restore power because crews must inspect power lines and repair damage before they can be safely re-energized. Nearly 1,100 Colorado residents remain without power as of Monday, December 22, according to Xcel’s outage map.
One commenter, identifying as a single mother of two, wrote that she lost all of the food in her fridge and freezer when the outage lasted longer than Xcel originally estimated.
“I already barely make ends meet, I can’t even buy Christmas gift [sic] this year. I had to ask for a pay advance to put food in my fridge and freezer. …All that food I bought had to be thrown out. Now we have no food for the next 3 weeks,” she wrote on Sunday. “Xcel just made this the worst Christmas ever!!!”
A mother with a newborn infant shared a similar story, saying her family’s “safety net” of frozen food and breast milk was all ruined. She called the loss “devastating” as she was recently laid off and is relying on SNAP to feed her children. According to Xcel, the company will does not reimburse customers for spoiled food during outages caused by storms or power safety shutoffs.
Another commenter said their parents in Evergreen received six different estimates for when their power would be restored. They noted that their parents use a water well that needs electricity to pump, and that their mother is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.
“My parents have been without electricity, heat, water and phone for FIVE DAYS. NO ONE CARES,” they wrote on Sunday. “How dare Xcel continue to tell them their service will be restored AND it is not. …I am so furious with the lack of planning and inability to deliver services. AND not caring to put lives in danger.”
Governor Jared Polis and Attorney General Phil Weiser have also levied criticisms against Xcel over the power shutoffs.
“The shutting down of power this week, often with little notice and for days, is unprecedented and unacceptable,” Weiser said via a social media post on Friday. “We can do better.”
Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy Colorado, has pushed back against critiques from public officials, but apologized “if there was confusion” in communicating to customers how long it would take to restore power.
“We recognize the challenges our customers face when being without power for an extended period of time. We appreciate their patience as our crews work tirelessly to restore power,” Kenney said in a statement on Thursday. “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.”
