Xcel Energy May Cut Power to Parts of Western Colorado Wednesday: Here’s What You Need to Know
If you live in Mesa, Garfield, or Pitkin County, Wednesday could be a rough day.
Xcel Energy is planning a possible Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) starting around 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 22.
Customers in the San Luis Valley counties of Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Rio Grande, and Saguache are looking at an 11 a.m. start time.
Why Is This Happening?
It's been a brutally warm, dry winter across the region, and much of western Colorado is sitting in extreme to exceptional drought.
Add in strong winds, low humidity, and bone-dry conditions on Wednesday, and you've got exactly the kind of setup that turns a downed power line into a disaster.
The National Weather Service has already issued a Red Flag Warning for the San Luis Valley.
How Long Could You Be Without Power?
Conditions are expected to start improving Wednesday evening around 7 p.m., but don't expect the lights to flip back on the moment the wind dies down.
Crews have to physically inspect lines and repair damage before anything gets re-energized. That process can take anywhere from several hours to several days, especially in rural, remote, or mountainous areas.
What Should You Do Right Now?
Check the Xcel outage map to see if your address falls in the affected zone. If you or someone in your household depends on medical equipment that runs on electricity, start making arrangements today and not tomorrow morning.
Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings will also be active statewide, making lines more sensitive to interruptions. That's a good thing for wildfire prevention, less great if you're counting on uninterrupted power.
Stay tuned. Conditions and the shutoff zone could still change.