Improved notifications and better communication with customers and critical facilities, like wastewater treatment plants and hospitals, are among the requirements that Xcel Energy-Colorado must meet when it shuts off power to reduce the risks from hazardous weather.
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission endorsed a series of requirements last week after looking into complaints following Xcel’s shutdown of power along the northern Front Range in early April as a precaution during extreme winds. The company notified customers of the preemptive outages after forecasters called for wind gusts of up to 100 mph over a weekend.
The move, intended to reduce wildfire risks, drew a storm of complaints from businesses that reported damages, people dependent on medical devices powered by electricity and communities that said critical facilities were at risk. Customers said Xcel Energy failed to give them enough notice and to keep them updated on how long power would stay off.
The company cut off electricity to about 55,000 customers in six counties when the winds started roaring. A total of roughly 150,000 Xcel customers lost power, either because of lines being shut down out of precaution or wind damage.
Commission members recognized that Xcel Energy made several voluntary improvements after the April outages, said PUC Director Rebecca White. The requirements build on those changes, she said.
The requirements, which will be finalized when the PUC issues a written decision, include:
- Continued coordination, including the development of joint plans, with emergency response organizations across Xcel’s service territory
- Testing messaging systems to reach customers dependent on medical equipment
- Clearly identifying critical customers, such as hospitals and wastewater facilities, to receive enhanced notifications
- Improving outage and potential proactive power shutoff mapping to be user-friendly, real-time, and indicate the reason for outages
- Improving notification prior to an event, and communication throughout an outage, to all of Xcel’s customers including businesses
- Monthly updates to the PUC on these actions, including providing the copies of plans reached with emergency response organizations
“We welcome the commission’s feedback. We welcome our communities’ and customers’ feedback. We have done a lot to already incorporate that into our operations,” Xcel Energy-Colorado President Robert Kenney said.
Xcel has included some of the points in a new wildfire mitigation plan that the PUC will consider. Kenney said Xcel has contacted about 90% of its 1.6 million electricity customers to find out who uses medical equipment that needs power. The company is proposing to provide rebates to low-income customers for backup batteries for the devices.
This year was the first time that Xcel took proactive steps in Colorado to cut power to reduce wildfire risks. Power companies in other states are increasingly using preemptive shutdowns as the climate has heated up and dried out, extending the wildfire season to year-round.
Fierce winds and unusually dry conditions drove the Marshall fire Dec. 30, 2021, in Louisville, Superior and parts of unincorporated Boulder County. The fire killed two people, destroyed 1,084 homes and businesses and did more than $2 billion in total property damage.
An investigation by Boulder County authorities said the fire started in two places: on a religious cult’s property when embers from an earlier fire reignited and near part of Xcel’s electrical distribution system, where a power line became loose.
Xcel Energy, which faces nearly 300 lawsuits over the fire, disputes that its equipment started one of the blazes that merged into one massive wildfire.
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Originally Published:
Xcel Energy, a major U.S. utility company, will now face new requirements for executing preemptive power outages following recent regulatory changes. The move comes amid increasing concerns about the reliability of the energy grid, particularly in the wake of extreme weather events and wildfires that have led to widespread power disruptions in several regions.
Traditionally, utilities like Xcel Energy have used preemptive power outages as a last-resort measure to mitigate the risk of catastrophic fires caused by damaged power lines or other equipment. However, regulators have been pushing for more stringent rules about when and how these outages should be carried out.
The main purpose of the new regulatory requirements is to minimize the risk of uncontrolled wildfires triggered by utility infrastructure, while simultaneously reducing the inconvenience and potential dangers posed by the unexpected loss of power to customers. The primary objective is to strike a balancing act, ensuring that the interruption of power supply does not happen arbitrarily but at the same time doesn’t run the risk of sparking dangerous wildfires.
Under the new rules, Xcel Energy, along with other utilities, will be required to follow stricter protocols for performing preventative power outages. This includes providing more detailed plans about the specific conditions under which they would initiate these shutoffs, such as high wind speeds, low humidity levels and other severe weather conditions.
Furthermore, utilities are also required to engage with customers and communities well in advance of any potential shutoffs, giving them adequate warning and time to prepare. This community engagement is intended to reduce customer complaints about lack of adequate notice, which has been a major concern during recent preemptive power outages.
The rules also require that utilities outline plans for restoring power as quickly and safely as possible following any outage. These plans must detail steps to inspect lines and infrastructure for potential damage before power is reconnected, to ensure that the process doesn’t initiate fires or other safety concerns.
Apart from these, the new regulations also mandate that utilities must demonstrate how they are investing in infrastructure and technology improvements to reduce the need for preemptive outages in the first place. This could include measures such as hardening power lines, enhancing weather prediction capabilities, and implementing advanced grid technology to isolate and address potential threats.
Given the increasing impact of climate change and extreme weather events, preemptive power outages are expected to remain a necessary tool for utility companies. However, these new requirements aim to make the process more transparent, predictable, and far safer for communities.
In compliance with the new regulations, Xcel Energy has assured it would prioritize public safety, continue investing in measures to harden infrastructure and enhance resilience. Implementing these changes effectively will be crucial in supporting the utility’s operational reliability while responding effectively to the challenges posed by an increasingly changing climate.
In conclusion, while the new requirements for preemptive power outages represent a significant regulatory change for Xcel Energy, they also present the company with an opportunity to capitalize on advanced technologies and strategic planning to enhance both safety and reliable service delivery. As wildfires and extreme weather become more prevalent due to climate change, the utility industry is adapting to prioritize safety and reliability, even as it moves toward a more sustainable and resilient energy future.
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Xcel Energy faces new requirements for preemptive power outages
