Residents, business owners and local officials gave Xcel Energy an earful during a hearing convened by Colorado’s utility regulators on Wednesday, accusing the power company of using power shutoffs as a liability dodge that burdens communities.

Xcel’s ability to trigger what’s called “Public Safety Power Shutoffs” or PSPS is officially sanctioned by the Public Utilities Commission.

Boulder Chamber of Commerce’s Jonathan Singer cited a survey showing average losses of $25,000 per business, affecting 20,000 workers, for the recent power shutoffs.

Golden Chamber of Commerce President Nola Krajewski reported about $2 million in damages from roughly 100 businesses.

Restaurant operator Brandon Bortles called for legislative action to designate these power shutoffs as insurable events.

Xcel had planned for — and executed power shutoffs — a few weeks ago. The company called it a key strategy in minimizing the risk of wildfires. Xcel said it uses weather forecasts, along with other data, to determine whether to shut off power, adding that high winds and dry conditions are key factors in its forecast modeling.

Back in 2024, the utility had described “de-energizing” as a “last resort measure.”

The commission is considering rules on timelines for disseminating PSPS warnings, outage mapping, and restoration processes after such shutoffs, which, in the last time, left up to 69,000 customers without power for days across Boulder, Jefferson, and other Front Range counties.

“We cannot prioritize Xcel’s liability avoidance over the needs of our residents,” said Clear Creek County Commissioner Jodie Hartman-Ball. “Xcel has repeatedly put off these kinds of investments because they’re not incentivized over company profits.”

“Xcel has put off this kind of improvement because it costs them money, but shut-off events just put the cost onto local governments and Coloradans,” added Gilpin County Commissioner Jeff Aiken.

Xcel officials communicated with customers across multiple channels before and during PSPS events, Michelle Aguayo, a spokesperson for Xcel Energy, told The Denver Gazette in a statement.

At the public meeting, several speakers countered that outages caused a complete loss of communications, including cell towers, internet and landlines — particularly in mountain areas — that lasted for days, leaving residents in the dark and wondering when power might be restored.

Boulder Deputy City Manager Chris Chu called it “risk shifting to our communities,” faulting “confusing, conflicting, inaccurate, and incomplete” communications that hampered emergency planning.

“Three nights of no oxygen … It took about a week or two until I became much more like myself,” said Charlotte Krasnoff, 95.

Conifer resident Kelly Tannenbaum warned of winter risks, such as frozen pipes and generator fires, noting the high costs of backup generators amid Xcel’s rate hikes.

Meanwhile, Jefferson County Sheriff Reggie Marinelli spoke of operational impacts on the county jail.

“When we lose power, we have the inability to service those who are living within our jail,” Marinelli said.

The shutoffs also present risks to the refrigerated evidence vault during outages, he said, and described taking in inmates from other counties during the outage, including the entire population of the Clear Creek County Jail.

Jefferson County Emergency Manager Nathan Whittington said the two PSPS events affected up to 60,000 people, with disruptions lasting up to seven days and requiring emergency coordination across nine jurisdictions.

Sunshine Fire Protection District Chief Michael Schmitt told commissioners that re-energized downed lines sparked two fires. He urged protocols to prevent such incidents and better internal coordination among Xcel crews.

Xcel has said it must physically check every line in the shutdown area before re-energizing them, which explains the lengthy restoration times.

Boulder County Firefighters Association President Chris O’Brien highlighted cascading failures in communications with the loss of cell phone towers and 911 lines.

Some speakers acknowledged the necessity of PSPS.

“We do believe that the decision to shut down the power was the right approach,” Hartman-Ball conceded.

“I think Xcel made the right call given the level of risk from the fires,” Gilpin County’s Aiken said.

Xcel acknowledged the significant impacts of PSPS on residents, businesses and municipal operations.

“We appreciate our customers’ feedback as we all work towards keeping our communities safe,” said Xcel’s Aguayo. “We know being without power is disruptive and can be frustrating, so we take the decision to implement a PSPS very seriously.”

“While we stand by our decision to prioritize safety, we acknowledge there are areas for improvement,” Aguayo said.

The commission will weigh input at a February 2, 2026, meeting with government entities.