December 16, 2025 03:08 PM UTC

The Xcel Energy High Wind Shutoff Is Not Political

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• by: Colorado Pols

Denver7 reports, and it might be impossible to ignore tomorrow afternoon:

Xcel Energy will likely shut off power along the Front Range on Wednesday as a safety precaution due to the strong winds expected that afternoon.

Those gusty winds are expected west of Interstate 25 with near-critical fire weather conditions possible near the base of the foothills, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) out of Boulder. Gusts may reach 90 mph in the high county and foothills above 9,000 feet and 70 mph at the bottom of the foothills. The winds will be more widespread that evening and Friday, and will impact more communities at lower elevations. The plains and urban corridor may see more critical fire weather conditions Friday, the NWS reported. The risk for fires is elevated because of recent dry weather and near record-warm temperatures…

More from the email sent to potentially affected Xcel Energy customers earlier today:

We anticipate the extreme weather conditions may lead to power outages unrelated to the PSPS, given the forecast for strong winds that could down trees and power lines.

We expect Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) to be activated across impacted areas, which means that power lines are more sensitive and can instantly stop the flow of energy if an issue, like a tree branch touching the line, is detected.

Power will remain off until our crews can make sure it’s safe to turn it back on. These settings are intended to improve public safety during heightened risk conditions, but it means power outages, if they occur, are likely to last hours or even days longer than typical outages.

The extreme weather conditions forecast for the next few days are troublingly similar to the end of December of 2021, when unseasonably warm weather and fierce winds resulted in the most devastating fire in Colorado history in terms of property destroyed. The Marshall Fire burned over 1,000 homes in the northwest suburbs of Denver, and in September Xcel reached a settlement to compensate the thousands of people who suffered losses with a price tag of $640 million. That devastating event has understandably imbued the Front Range’s electric utility monopoly with an abundance of caution.

But to local Republicans, advance notification of a possible electricity outrage for public safety reasons is the next wave of Democratic tyranny!

And if a warning that the power may need to be temporarily shut off to prevent another Marshall Fire isn’t enough “commie crap” for you, somebody even roped the dreaded Dee Eee Eye into the story:

This hirsute lip-ringed fellow is apparently diving deep on one of our recent posts on the separate subject of Xcel seeking rate increases to pay for capacity for data centers at residential consumers’ expense–but we stopped reading at the mention of “illegal DEI practices,” because that’s what happens when our eyes roll to the back of our heads.

Therein lies the point: everybody can find something to hate about public utilities, which is why they need to be well-regulated. But not everything Xcel Energy does is the result of nefarious social engineering, or political at all. In this case, it’s about preventing another massive disaster as the separate issues of climate change, aging utility infrastructure, and urban expansion into flammable wildlands converge.

So everyone please be safe, charge up your phones and radios, follow emergency instructions, and maybe even be thankful you got advance notice of a possible preventative step carried out for your safety.

You know, how people used to act before everything became a goddamn conspiracy.