22-04-2025
Boulder enters agreement with Xcel Energy to quicken wildfire safety upgrades
DENVER (KDVR) — The city of Boulder announced Monday that it had entered into a settlement agreement with Xcel Energy and other parties that the city said would bring faster, more equitable wildfire safety upgrades to the community.
The settlement must be approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, but the agreement was filed as part of Xcel's Wildfire Mitigation Plan that guides the company's priorities. The agreement will ensure Xcel prioritizes Boulder and other wildfire-prone communities for wildfire safety investments during the next three years.
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'This is a significant step toward making our community safer and more resilient in the face of growing wildfire threats,' said Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde, Boulder city manager, in a release. 'I am proud of the work our city team did to ensure the voices of our community, and our neighboring communities, were heard and to help shape a plan that better protects the people and places most at risk.'
According to Boulder's city website, the plan from Xcel was submitted to the PUC last summer. Boulder intervened in the PUC proceedings to help shape the plan and advocate for local priorities. Earlier this year, the city and the utility provider joined other stakeholders to present unified recommendations to the PUC, and on April 18, the comprehensive, unanimous settlement was agreed upon.
Boulder, alongside state agencies and other organizations, helped negotiate the agreement to ensure high fire risk communities are better protected from the threat of utility-ignited wildfire, such as the Marshall Fire.
The company is facing hundreds of complaints, according to information the company gave investors, after the Boulder County Sheriff's Office pointed to the electric and natural gas supplier as a possible second-ignition cause of the Marshall Fire on Dec. 30, 2021.
Then, in April 2024, Xcel Energy shut off power for tens of thousands of Denver metro customers due to high winds in the area. The action was the first of its kind to be taken in Colorado and frustrated many residents, including those who had medical needs that required power.
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'The safety and wildfire resiliency of our community is a shared responsibility,' said Chief Brian Oliver, the city of Boulder Fire-Rescue's wildland division chief, in a release. 'Being able to partner with regional organizations like Xcel on wildfire resiliency is just as important as the role the city plays and the role each member of our community plays in creating defensible space and hardening homes. These efforts also go a long way in assisting response efforts.'
Xcel is assuring that its plan will accelerate wildfire safety upgrades in and around Boulder, with anticipated actions to be taken including replacing aging poles and installing stronger, more fire-resistant equipment. The utility provider also said that it will work with the city to improve how planned outages are communicated, especially for vulnerable community members.
Xcel also agreed to provide better data and clearer communication to help Boulder plan and respond to wildfire risks.
The PUC is expected to review and release a decision on the settlement later this year.
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