With more outages on the horizon, does Boulder’s 20th Century power grid make sense for the next 100 years?

photo via Unsplash

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.

04_29_24_XCEL Alexis Kenyon

Alexis Kenyon

Alexis Kenyon is an experienced radio reporter with more than 15 years of experience creating compelling, sound-rich radio stories for news outlets across the country. Kenyon has master's degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism in radio broadcast and photojournalism. She has worked in KGNU's news department since 2021 as a reporter, editor, and daily news producer. In all her work, she strives to produce thought-provoking, trustworthy journalism that makes other people's stories feel personal. In addition to audio production, Kenyon runs KGNU's news internship program and oversees the department's digital engagement.