Xcel Energy Power Outage Announcement

Xcel Energy prepares for extreme weather and possible Public Safety Power Shutoff in western Colorado, San Luis Valley

Customers, including customers with medical conditions that require electricity, encouraged to prepare for outages, verify or update contact information for notifications

DENVER (April 20, 2026) — Xcel Energy is continuing to prepare for strong winds, low relative humidity and very dry conditions, resulting in high wildfire risk, in parts of western Colorado and the San Luis Valley on Wednesday, April 22, and potentially along the northern Front Range on Thursday, April 23. Historically low snowpack, coupled with unseasonably warm and dry weather as well as very dry vegetation, could contribute to large, fast-spreading wildfires.

To reduce the risk of wildfire and support public safety, Xcel Energy is planning for a possible Public Safety Power Shutoff beginning on Wednesday around 9 a.m. for some customers in Garfield, Mesa and Pitkin counties, and around 11 a.m. for some customers in Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Rio Grande and Saguache counties. According to the US Drought Monitor, much of the area is experiencing “extreme” to “exceptional” drought due to the record warm and dry winter. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the San Luis Valley for this event. Weather conditions are expected to start improving around 7 p.m. Wednesday, and crews will begin restoring power as soon as it is safe to do so.

After the severe weather subsides, it may take several hours to a few days to restore power to all customers because crews must patrol each line to repair damage and make sure it’s safe to re-energize. Rural, remote, mountainous and other difficult to reach areas could experience extended outages.

As an important reminder to customers who have medical equipment that relies on electric service, please take steps to prepare a backup power supply in case outages do occur. Xcel Energy will continue to reach out to potentially affected customers as the forecasted weather event approaches.

Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings and Public Safety Power Shutoff are important ways Xcel Energy reduces wildfire risk and keeps customers safe. It’s important to note that high winds can also trigger unplanned outages.

During the next 48 hours, Xcel Energy expects to activate Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings across Colorado to mitigate against wildfire hazard conditions.

When Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings are activated, power lines are more sensitive and can instantly stop the flow of energy if an issue is detected, like a tree branch or other object touching the line.
These settings do not mean the company has proactively turned off a customer’s power. If there is an outage while these settings are activated, it is the result of an issue on the power line.
In the event of an outage, power will remain off until our crews can visually inspect power lines to make sure it is safe to turn them back on. This may mean that if an outage occurs, it could last longer.

The company utilizes weather forecasts and other data sources to help determine the best course of action to protect public safety. High winds, low relative humidity and dry ground fuel conditions are key factors in risk models. Models are regularly updated, and operations are adjusted accordingly to reduce wildfire risk. The impacted areas and number of customers affected may continue to change as weather conditions evolve and the company refines the scope of the possible Public Safety Power Shutoff event. As forecasts improve in the coming days, Xcel Energy expects to be able to reduce the area and number of customers impacted.

Due to anticipated high winds, outages could take place outside of areas impacted by a Public Safety Power Shutoff. Xcel Energy encourages customers to take steps to prepare for potential wildfires and power outages now. 

Please review your contact information and preferences in My Account and update them if needed.
If you use medical equipment that relies on electricity, consider signing up for our Safe for Colorado program, which provides extra support to residents with qualifying medical conditions.

How customers can prepare, stay safe

Stay Informed

Xcel Energy will provide updates for this specific weather event on its website. Customers can check the outage map for up-to-date information on outages and estimated restorations times, when available. They should make sure their account information and communications preferences are up to date in  My Account.

Customers can also stay informed by following Xcel Energy on Facebook and X.

Build a Home Emergency Kit

Customers are encouraged to be prepared for an electric outage by keeping phones and other devices charged and building an outage kit with items that do not require electricity, including:

Battery-powered radio
Flashlights
Batteries
Backup phone chargers
A phone that does not require electricity
Non-electric alarm clock
Bottled water and non-perishable food
Manual can opener
First aid kit
Extension cords (for partial outages)
Manufacturer’s instructions on how to manually open power-operated doors (e.g. garage doors)
Xcel Energy phone numbers – (800) 895-1999 for residential or (800) 481-4700 for business

As an important reminder to customers who have medical equipment that relies on electric service, please take steps to prepare for potential extended outages in case outages do occur. Xcel Energy will be conducting additional outreach for qualifying medical customers.

We are continually investing in and building out our systems to reduce the risk of wildfire and limit the size, scale, and duration of potential power disruptions. More tips for how to prepare for an outage are available here.

Report an Outage

Customers can help Xcel Energy get a jump on power restoration by reporting outages. Customers have several ways to report outages:

Through the Xcel Energy mobile app, available in the Apple App Store and through Google Play.
Online at xcelenergy.com/out
Via text by texting OUT to 98936 to report an outage, or text STAT to the same number to check the status of a power outage
By calling 1-800-895-1999 and following the prompts—the automated phone reporting system lets customers report outages in less than 60 seconds.

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About Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) is a leading energy provider, dedicated to serving millions of customers with excellence. We make energy work better for customers, helping them thrive every day. That means always raising the bar — delivering better service and providing more reliable, resilient and sustainable energy.

We are committed to leading the clean energy transition, meeting our customers’ need for more cleaner power, while keeping bills as low as possible. Because the people we serve depend on us to power their lives.

Headquartered in Minneapolis, we work every day to generate and distribute electricity and gas to customers across eight states: Minnesota, Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on X and Facebook.