Power Reliability and Resilience
Status: In Progress — Active Council Priority Project for 2026 Lead Body: City Council / Climate Initiatives Department Related Bodies: Environmental Advisory Board First Discussed: 2026 (declared Council Priority)
The City of Boulder has declared power reliability and resilience a Council Priority Project for 2026 in response to a pattern of outages driven by Xcel Energy's Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPSs), aging infrastructure, wildfire-related equipment failures, and weather-driven damage. The EAB received a comprehensive presentation in May 2026 and is engaged as an advisory body. The city is pursuing a multi-track strategy: understanding Xcel's planned investments, engaging frontline communities disproportionately affected by outages, and developing policy options for action.
North Boulder is the most severely impacted area — a high-risk transmission line from downtown along Highway 36 toward Lyons triggers PSPSs during extreme wind/low-humidity events. Xcel plans to underground approximately 5.5 miles of this line, with construction beginning in 2026 and completion in early 2027. Aurora neighborhood has the highest outage frequency (NCAR line failures); North Boulder has the longest-duration outages.
Timeline
| Date | Body | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-12 | City | Major PSPS events in North Boulder triggered by winter wind conditions |
| 2026-01-08 | City Council | Special meeting — PSPS/windstorm response report added to agenda; Xcel Energy letter deferred to Jan 22; multiple public speakers called for stronger action and community resilience infrastructure |
| 2026-02-05 | City Council | Public comment (Leslie Clustroom): requested staff develop plan for 3 community resilience hubs (south, east, north) with interconnected microgrids |
| 2026 Q1 | City Council | Designated power reliability and resilience as 2026 Council Priority Project |
| 2026-04-08 | Environmental Advisory Board | Climate Initiatives staff oriented new EAB members on power reliability as 2026 Council priority; previewed engagement plan |
| 2026-05-06 | Environmental Advisory Board | Received staff presentation on Xcel outages, PSPS events, and infrastructure investment plans |
| 2026-07-30 | City Council | Study session on wildfire resilience and home hardening implementation hub (scheduled) |
| 2026-08-27 | City Council | Xcel Energy presentation to Council at study session (scheduled) |
| 2026-10-08 | Community | Community Council forum on priorities and policies (scheduled) |
Key Decisions
- Declared 2026 Council Priority; city staff building comprehensive understanding of Xcel plans and remaining risks
- Xcel's 2025–2027 wildfire mitigation plan: $1.9B approved, several hundred million in Boulder area, ratepayer-funded
- North Boulder undergrounding: ~5.5 miles of Highway 36 transmission line, construction 2026, completion early 2027
- City supporting battery backup through tax rebates and grants
Open Questions
- What policy options will Council adopt after community engagement and Xcel study session?
- How will equity-centered investment be structured for frontline communities?
- What regulatory or legislative advocacy will Boulder pursue with PUC/state legislature?
- Role of solar + storage expansion in resilience strategy