In the weeks following an early April power outage, during which Xcel Energy cut power to over 55,000 customers across the Denver and Boulder metro areas, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has initiated an investigation into the utility company.
As part of this investigation, the PUC hosted a community feedback meeting, during which members reported significant losses, including tens of millions of dollars in business revenue. One Boulder pharmaceutical business said it several lost millions of dollars worth of product. People with disabilities reported that they had to rush to the hospital to power oxygen and temperature-regulating machines. Meanwhile, traffic lights caused a frenzy of accidents. Boulder’s community hospital reported they were overrun and had only a few hours’ notice.
Leslie Glustrom, a longtime climate activist in Boulder and throughout Colorado who has also served as a PUC intervenor for many years, spoke at the meeting.
KGNU’s Alexis Kenyon spoke with Glustrom, who says the recent outages underscore a critical question about the true costs associated with our current electric utility system.
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04_29_24_XCEL Alexis Kenyon
