Schools prepare to cancel, modify classes

As the Front Range braces for wind gusts of up to 80 mph Wednesday, Xcel Energy let customers know that they may experience power shutoffs.

Already, some of the school districts have begun preparations to cancel or modify school hours.

In an alert Tuesday morning, the energy provider said that it will likely institute a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) beginning around noon Wednesday to mitigate wildfire potential amid the high winds and abundance of dry, flammable materials.

The shutoff could take as little as a few hours or as long as a few days to get resolved, as crews will need to inspect lines and repair any damage before re-energization, according to the alert.

Affected areas around metro Denver include those in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties.

Xcel said in the alert that it will make a decision as to whether PSPS will be required Wednesday morning.

The winds, mostly between 20 and 40 mph with gusts reaching as high as 80 mph, are expected to pick up around noon and end around 6 p.m. as a cold front moves into the Front Range.

Xcel said the winds could affect about 50,000 customers in Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties as early as 10 a.m.

School districts in the area began warning families early in the week for the potential of a schedule shift Wednesday in light of the potential power shutoff.

Jefferson County Public Schools announced Tuesday night that all schools within the district will be closed on Wednesday due to Xcel Energy’s planned power outages.

Weld RE-4 School District notified parents that it would cancel cancel classes for preschool through the fifth grade and release middle and high school students early.

Boulder Valley School District said it is closely monitoring the situation but noted that Xcel Energy’s planned power shutoff might happen for extended periods, making it “very difficult to keep schools open.”

“We have emergency generators at our schools, but they only power emergency lighting in our buildings, not other key components that keep our buildings warm and safe,” the district said.

The precautionary announcement comes nearly four years after high winds ignited the Marshall fire in Boulder County, which killed two people, destroyed over 1,000 homes and businesses and forced 37,000 people to evacuate.

Investigators said that a loose Xcel Energy power line near the fire’s origin was swinging in the wind and had discharged hot particles. Xcel denied responsibility for the fire, citing its own investigation that found no equipment malfunction, but the utility paid over $640 million to settle a lawsuit over the claims in September, one day before jury selection was slated to begin in the civil trial.

As part of Xcel’s June Wildfire mitigation plan, the provider detailed guidelines for the power safety shutoffs, which occur when weather conditions – such as high winds and an abundance of dry fuel, as will be the case on Wednesday – threaten the infrastructure that prevents lines from sparking.

In addition to the potential shutoffs, Xcel said in the alert that it will be placing its power lines on Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS), making them more sensitive to any object that may touch the line and stop the flow of electricity. In the case an object, such as a tree branch, comes into contact with a line, the power would be immediately shut off and crews would have to inspect the line before it is re-energized.

The CORE Electric Cooperative, which also serves the metro Denver area, said on social media Tuesday that it is currently not planning to institute PSPS on its own lines but that it will be implementing its own safety settings that could lead to longer outages.

Anyone concerned they may lose power Wednesday can check Xcel’s Outage Map for estimations on where the PSPS shutoffs may occur. The provider also has an online checklist that lists useful items to have during an outage, including the following:

• A battery-powered radio or TV

• Flashlights with extra batteries

• A portable charger

• A non-electric phone and alarm clock

• Bottled water and non-perishable food

• A non-electric can opener

• A first-aid kit

• Extension cords for partial outages