DENVER (Dec. 31, 2021) – Electric and natural gas crews continue work today to restore service to customers impacted by yesterday’s extremely high winds and wildfires. Because of the ongoing fires, this work will continue into the coming days.
“This has been an incredibly challenging time for many of our communities, and we are working hard to restore power and natural gas to customers,” said Alice Jackson, president—Xcel Energy Colorado. “Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the wildfires, and we are calling in extra hands from across the region and beyond to safely restore service wherever possible. Conditions continue to be challenging, so we thank customers for their patience as our crews continue to work around the clock.”
Crews made significant progress overnight on restoring electricity to customers and are working in Boulder County today to restore the remaining customers who are still without power where possible. Approximately 350 employees and contractors will be working to restore electric service today in the area. About 80% of affected customers’ service has been restored as of this morning, with about 15,000 customers remaining. It is also important for the public to remain safe. In the event you see a downed power line, do not approach or touch the power line.
At the request of public safety officials, Xcel Energy turned off natural gas and electric service to customers in Superior and Louisville to minimize safety concerns related to the ongoing wildfires. Crews will continue to evaluate the situation in those communities today and will begin work to restore service to customers if possible. About 150 employees and contractors will be working today on restoring natural gas service to those communities, with our mutual aid partners traveling from out of state to assist. They will begin by assessing the damage, and restoration is likely to take several days for customers whose homes and businesses can accept service. Natural gas service will need to be restored house by house and building by building, and once our public safety partners allow our crews to access the area, customers should expect to see our employees and contractors in their neighborhoods. We are committed to safely restoring the service as quickly as possible following approval for our crews to enter the area, as well as our assessment of any damages caused to the system.
With the winter weather moving in today, the company will provide electric heaters to affected customers in Superior and Louisville. To pick up an electric heater, please stop by the Red Cross shelter at YMCA in Lafayette at 2800 Dagny Way. There will be a large tent located onsite with electric heaters available. We are also working to have a second pickup location as well and will communicate that location as soon as it is known.
In the coming days, Superior and Louisville can continue to find updates on the restoration efforts at xcelenergy.com.
All customers in Colorado’s mountain region who were affected by last evening’s controlled electric outages had service restored overnight. Because of the impact of the wildfires on the natural gas infrastructure that serves Summit and Grand counties, the controlled outages were put in place to decrease the amount of natural gas being used by furnaces, so the natural gas system could continue to provide service to customers. The company would like to thank customers for their patience and for helping conserve natural gas. Customers can resume their normal use of natural gas.
As an important safety reminder, if customers ever detect a sulfur or rotten egg smell inside or near their home, it could be the odorant that we put in natural gas to help detect leaks. If they notice that smell, leave home immediately. Do not turn any electrical devices on or off, do not use a garage door opener, and never use any phone until they are outside and away, then call us at 1-800-895-2999. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
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About Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) provides the energy that powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company is an industry leader in responsibly reducing carbon emissions and producing and delivering clean energy solutions from a variety of renewable sources at competitive prices. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.