DENVER— (January 14, 2026)— Xcel Energy continues to prepare for a potential extreme fire weather event, including strong wind, low humidity and extremely dry ground conditions, and likely Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) on Friday, January 16. Ongoing very dry conditions and historically low snowpack, coupled with high winds, may create the potential for an extreme wildfire weather environment.
To reduce the risk of wildfire and protect public safety, Xcel Energy is planning for a likely PSPS beginning on Friday, January 16, at 8 a.m., impacting about 9,000 customers in Larimer and Weld counties, including parts of Fort Collins and nearby communities to the north and west. Weather conditions are expected to improve around 4 p.m. Friday.
If a PSPS is needed or there are other weather-related outages across our system, power restoration efforts will begin after high winds and elevated fire risks have ended. By Friday, hundreds of crew members will be positioned to begin inspections, make repairs and restore power as soon as it is safe to do so. It may take several hours to several days for customers’ power to be restored because a crew must patrol the entire power line to ensure it’s safe to turn service back on before it can be re-energized.
The company is sharing event updates and tips customers can use to prepare, stay safe, report outages and stay informed when severe weather strikes on its Event Update webpage . The company intends to provide its next update to the public on Thursday morning.
“While wind speeds will be at the lower end of our thresholds for a PSPS, an unusually mild start to winter has contributed to historically dry conditions that create high risk for wildfires,” said Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy—Colorado. “In the event of a Public Safety Power Shutoff, we will work to limit the number of those impacted and are preparing to ensure a quick restoration of power. We recognize that any amount of time without power is a hardship. As always, our crews will work as safely and quickly as they can to restore power in the event of a PSPS or other weather-related outages.”
Xcel Energy will continue to reach out to potentially affected customers as the forecasted weather event approaches and will update customers throughout the weather event with outage and restoration information. Customers can look up their address online to find out whether they may be subject to a PSPS event.
How customers can prepare, stay safe
Stay Informed
Xcel Energy will provide updates for this specific weather event on its website. Customers can check the outage map for up-to-date information on outages and estimated restorations times, when available. They should make sure their account information and communications preferences are up to date in My Account.
Customers can also stay informed by following Xcel Energy on Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter.
Build a Home Emergency Kit
Customers are encouraged to be prepared for an electric outage by keeping phones and other devices charged and building an outage kit with items that do not require electricity, including:
- Battery-powered radio
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- Backup phone chargers
- A phone that does not require electricity
- Non-electric alarm clock
- Bottled water and non-perishable food
- Manual can opener
- First aid kit
- Extension cords (for partial outages)
- Manufacturer’s instructions on how to manually open power-operated doors (e.g. garage doors)
- Xcel Energy phone numbers – (800) 895-1999 for residential or (800) 481-4700 for business
As an important reminder to customers who have medical equipment that relies on electric service, please take steps to prepare for potential extended outages in case outages do occur. Xcel Energy will be conducting additional outreach for qualifying medical customers.
We are continually investing in and building out our systems to reduce the risk of wildfire and limit the size, scale, and duration of potential power disruptions. More tips for how to prepare for an outage are available here.
Report an Outage
Customers can help Xcel Energy get a jump on power restoration by reporting outages. Customers have several ways to report outages:
- Through the Xcel Energy mobile app, available in the Apple App Store and through Google Play.
- Online at xcelenergy.com/out
- Via text by texting OUT to 98936 to report an outage, or text STAT to the same number to check the status of a power outage
- By calling 1-800-895-1999 and following the prompts—the automated phone reporting system lets customers report outages in less than 60 seconds.
###
About Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) is a leading energy provider, dedicated to serving millions of customers with excellence. We make energy work better for customers, helping them thrive every day. That means always raising the bar — delivering better service and providing more reliable, resilient and sustainable energy.
We are committed to leading the clean energy transition, meeting our customers’ need for more cleaner power, while keeping bills as low as possible. Because the people we serve depend on us to power their lives.
Headquartered in Minneapolis, we work every day to generate and distribute electricity and gas to customers across eight states: Minnesota, Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on X and Facebook.