Xcel Energy Begins Warning Customers as Extreme Winds Hit Colorado Today
Xcel Energy is urging Coloradans to brace for possible power shutoffs today, Wednesday, as dangerously high winds and dry conditions create an elevated wildfire threat across much of the state.
“This is a tool of last resort for Xcel Energy. We do not take this decision lightly,” said Andrew Holder, the company’s Community Relations Director.
Meteorologists with Xcel have been monitoring conditions overnight and through the morning, and the utility says the extreme wind event unfolding today — with gusts reaching 70–80 mph along the Front Range — has placed the region at high risk. The lack of recent snowfall and very dry fuels are making the situation more volatile.
“What we’re seeing today is very extreme wind,” Holder said. “When you combine that with how dry it is, the fire environment becomes an extreme one.”
The Jefferson County School District, Colorado’s second largest, said it has been in communication with Xcel as the situation develops. While schools are operating normally for now, district officials say that could change if power shutoffs begin.
Xcel warned that outages — if triggered — could impact a wide section of the state stretching from Fort Collins into the Eastern Plains and down toward Pueblo. With the strongest winds expected around midday, the utility says crews may not be able to restore power quickly until conditions are safe enough for inspections.
“Please have some grace,” Holder said. “Our workers will be out in very difficult conditions today to get the power restored safely.”
Xcel is also activating Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings, allowing lines to stay energized but automatically shutting off if anything makes contact. The company is coordinating with emergency management teams and critical facilities, including hospitals, to minimize the impact of potential outages.
If used today, this would be only the second Public Safety Power Shutoff in Colorado’s history, following the first one in April 2024.
“We learned a lot from that event,” Holder said. “And today we want to keep communication as clear and early as possible.”
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