AMARILLO, Texas (Mar. 18, 2025) – Xcel Energy is preparing to temporarily shut power off to just over 1,100 customers in our Texas and New Mexico service area today to reduce wildfire risk. This decision is based on weather forecasts indicating extremely high wind speeds and low relative humidity, in addition to abundant fire fuels on the ground.
Temporarily shutting power off – known as a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) – is a targeted measure of last resort when other methods are not enough to ensure public safety. Customers in parts of eastern New Mexico and in the South Plains region of Texas will be affected. The company expects these power outages to begin today, Tuesday, March 18 with starting times in different areas between 11 a.m. central/10 a.m. mountain and 1 p.m. central/12 p.m. mountain. This extreme weather event may lead to power outages unrelated to the PSPS, given the forecast for strong winds that could damage power lines. We will continue to share updates as conditions evolve.
Xcel Energy is continuing to reach out directly to affected customers, including those who use medical equipment that relies on electricity, to encourage them to prepare for a PSPS and for other outages related to severe weather. Customers can look up their address online to find out if they may be subject to the PSPS event. They can also check the status of outages on the Xcel Energy outage map.
Restoration efforts can only begin once wildfire and weather-related risks have subsided, which we expect to be around 10 p.m. central/9 p.m. mountain time. Our top priority is ensuring the safety of our communities, customers and work crews. While we expect some customers may have power restored overnight, outages in some areas will last until tomorrow and possibly longer if wind damage is significant.
Xcel Energy will continue to share updates as the situation develops on this dedicated PSPS event web page and provide the current status of outages via the electric service outage map.
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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 X and Facebook.