BOULDER, Colo. — Businesses in Boulder lost an average of $25,000 during the last public safety power outage in December 2025, according to a recently released survey conducted by the Boulder Chamber.
The planned outages by Xcel Energy were in response to high fire danger caused by high winds and dry conditions.
“Businesses recognize that there is a public safety threat,” John Tayer, president and CEO of the Boulder Chamber, said. “However, they want to see less of them, for obvious reasons.”
Nearly 300 businesses responded to the survey.
Nine businesses reported financial losses of over $100,000.
The outage affected 20,000 employees, about half of whom could not work, according to survey results.
“For many businesses, particularly those who depend on holiday season traffic, whether restaurants or retailers, this was a significant revenue loss for them,” Tayer said.
Many of the businesses surveyed said they wanted better communication before the outage and updates on restoration efforts.
They suggested short-term solutions, such as providing refrigerated trucks or additional power sources.
Ultimately, they say they want long-term infrastructure improvements to prevent future power disruptions.
"We recognize the challenges our customers face when being without power for an extended period of time," Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy Colorado, said in a Dec. 19 press release ahead of the shutoff. "We appreciate their patience as our crews work tirelessly to restore power. We appreciate their understanding of the public safety necessity of a PSPS (Public Safety Power Shutoff)."
The Boulder Chamber partnered with the Downtown Boulder Partnership, the Latino Chamber, Visit Boulder, the Boulder SBDC and the City of Boulder on the survey.
The Chamber plans to share the survey with Xcel Energy and city leaders.
“To have a conversation with them about the investments we can make in the future for hardening our system as well as city leaders considering what are the resiliency measures that would be most helpful for our businesses,” Tayer said.
