According to The Denver Post, reporter Sharla Steinman reports that Xcel Energy is warning customers in Larimer and Weld Counties that some areas could see power outages Friday because of strong winds and dry conditions.
Xcel says it is considering a Public Safety Power Shutoff starting around 7 a.m. Friday, including parts of Loveland, Fort Collins, and Windsor. Customers are told to check Xcel’s outage map and an event update page for the exact locations.
The National Weather Service also issued a fire weather watch beginning Thursday morning for wind and low relative humidity in several counties, including Larimer and Weld, with gusts expected up to 40 mph.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Xcel Energy is warning that parts of Larimer and Weld Counties may experience power outages Friday due to strong winds and dry conditions.
- The company is considering a Public Safety Power Shutoff beginning around 7 a.m. Friday, including parts of Loveland, Fort Collins, and Windsor.
- The National Weather Service issued a fire weather watch beginning Thursday morning for wind and low relative humidity, including Larimer and Weld.
- Wind gusts are expected to reach up to 40 mph, and the article notes conditions could change.
- Xcel says Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings are expected to be activated Friday, and it recommends customers charge devices and assemble an emergency kit.
My Bottom Line
Wind plus low humidity equals real fire risk. Nobody with a functioning brain wants a downed line sparking a disaster in our neighborhoods.
But let’s not pretend “public safety” is the only thing happening here. When the default tool is “turn it off,” that is a flashing sign that resiliency and hardening the system are not keeping pace with reality.
Translated: if the wind blows hard enough, you might be asked to live like it’s 1896, but with a smartphone you cannot charge.
Xcel says it does not take this lightly, and I believe them. Still, the working family in Windsor or the ranch outside Loveland does not get to file a press release when the fridge warms up, the shop sits idle, or the house goes cold.
Reliability is not a luxury add-on, it is the whole product.
So check the outage map, charge your devices, and build the basic emergency kit they recommend. Then start asking the grown-up question: when do we stop treating “shut it off” as a plan and start treating grid reliability like the public safety issue it actually is?
Source: The Denver Post
