Colorado’s biggest energy provider — Xcel Energy — is facing a new state investigation by regulators after consumer complaints about power outages around Colorado. In a public meeting Wednesday, members of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission discussed how to move forward with their query.
Erin O'Neill, deputy director of fixed utilities for the commission, said there are a lot of unanswered questions about what is causing the outages and how Xcel Energy is responding.
“There are a number of areas that could be investigated to better understand what is currently occurring on the public service system, what the causes of the outage are, and potential remedies or recommendations for the future,” O’Neill said. “We're really just trying to understand what the drivers are and what [Xcel] is doing to try to help mitigate the situation where customers are experiencing outages.”
During the public meeting, O’Neill read various customer complaints that described the outages as “completely unbearable” and “dangerous.”
Despite the widespread power outages, Xcel continues to break ground on its $1.7 billion Power Pathway project — a 650-mile transmission line project designed to tap wind and solar energy on the Eastern Plains to power rapidly growing areas across the state. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Xcel’s problem is part of a growing national problem as the aging electrical grid struggles to keep up with accommodating the growing demand for electricity and expansion for renewable energy.
“We are aware some of our customers are experiencing more frequent outages and are taking both short-term and longer-term action to improve the situation and enhance reliability on the system while ensuring we are mitigating wildfire risk or ignition,” a spokesperson for Xcel Energy told CPR News in a statement Wednesday.
