DENVER – Xcel Energy may purposely shut off power in “certain limited areas” this weekend due to strong winds that could reach gusts of up to 100 mph in the foothills, officials with the electric company said Friday.
High winds will develop Saturday morning and strengthen further through Saturday night, with the strongest winds occurring in the foothills and the I-25 Corridor starting Saturday afternoon and lasting through the night, according to forecasters with the National Weather Service in Boulder.
Wind gusts of about 80 mph are likely for the I-25 Corridor with the foothills feeling the brunt of this weekend’s windstorm where 100 mph gusts are possible, weather officials said earlier Friday.
To prepare for the high and potentially damaging winds, Xcel Energy will be operating the electric system across the state “in a manner intended to enhance public safety and decrease the risk of wildfire,” according to a news release.
Denver7 | Weather
100 mph winds possible in Colorado, high gusts expected in Denver this weekend
Typically, equipment on the electric system will attempt to restore power automatically within a few seconds if there’s an issue that causes a power outage on a line, such as when a tree branch falls on a line, a spokesperson said.
Xcel is changing those settings in many areas this weekend to prevent power from coming back up due this weekend’s dangerous winds, warning customers outages may be more frequent and last longer than they typically would.
“In certain limited areas, Xcel Energy may de-energize power lines beginning Saturday as a last resort measure to reduce the risk of a wildfire and ensure public safety,” the spokesperson said. “If a line is proactively de-energized, we will not turn power back on until the high fire risk has passed, conditions are safe to do so and the line has been visually inspected.”
Xcel Energy will try to let customers know if power will be shut off in their area ahead of time, and advised people who have medical equipment that relies on electric service to take steps to prepare for potential extended outages “in case proactive shutoffs are necessary.”
In all, about 30,000 Xcel Energy customers may be affected by the power shut off, mainly in Boulder County and small sections of Gilpin and Jefferson counties, the spokesperson said.
Xcel may deenergize lines on Saturday due to high winds Saturday & Sunday and increased fire potential.
— CO - Emergency Mgmt (@COEmergency) April 6, 2024
Plan ahead by charging equipment, medical equipment and devices you may need tomorrow.
Link https://t.co/LxatdsFw1o
Visit @XcelEnergyCO for updates
Customers can help Xcel get a jump on power restoration following an outage by reporting them through the My Xcel Energy mobile app, online at xcelenergy.com/out, via text by texting OUT to 98936 to report an outage, or by texting STAT to the same number to check the status of a power outage, or by calling 1-800-895-1999 and following the prompts.
This weekend’s powerful wind storm will "slowly diminish" in most areas by Sunday afternoon, NWS officials said.
