Colorado PUC keeps Xcel’s bimonthly power-shutoff reporting requirement in place
The commission continued the requirement while developing permanent rules, after public comments raised concerns about communication and coordination during December 2025 shutoffs.
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission on Aug. 5 directed Public Service Company of Colorado, the Xcel Energy subsidiary serving much of the state, to continue filing public-safety power-shutoff reports every two months while the commission develops permanent rules.
The action followed Xcel’s statement in its July 2026 report that it did not intend to file additional reports. Commissioners accepted staff’s recommendation to continue the requirement until permanent rules are adopted, according to the commission meeting record.
Staff said the reports provide transparency into the utility’s PSPS process and events and support communication with stakeholders. A commissioner said the reports built on one another and generally were not burdensome to Xcel.
The action concerns oversight and reporting, not the operational details, damages or merits of Xcel’s two December 2025 PSPS events.
Communication concerns persisted after December events
Public comments collected after the December 2025 shutoffs were described to the commission as largely consistent: tools meant to support customers, communities and emergency-management organizations before and during a shutoff still needed refinement.
The concerns followed interim communication and coordination requirements adopted in 2024. The PUC said in its October 2024 announcement that Xcel would have to coordinate with emergency-response organizations, test messaging for customers who rely on medical equipment, identify critical customers for enhanced notifications, improve outage and potential-PSPS maps, and provide monthly progress updates.
The meeting record did not identify which specific alerts, maps or emergency-coordination practices fell short. It also did not establish that every interim measure had failed; it indicated that the tools and practices were not yet considered complete.
Permanent rules remain pending
The PUC opened proceeding 26M-0037E on Dec. 30, 2025, for public comments and pre-rulemaking outreach. As of Aug. 6, 2026, the commission’s PSPS webpage said staff were still working on permanent requirements and standards.
A February commission newsletter projected a formal rulemaking notice in spring 2026 and final PSPS rules by the end of 2026. Those were projections, and no official record reviewed for this story confirmed that either milestone had occurred.
The Aug. 5 action did not specify Xcel’s next bimonthly filing deadline. The meeting record confirms reports were filed and reviewed from November 2024 through July 2026, but the next date was not stated. The exact deadline remains unresolved.