Power lines have fail safes, why didn’t Xcel allow them to work? [Video]

DENVER — When high, sustained winds hit the Denver metro area this past weekend, Xcel Energy went with a nuclear response.

The utility company purposefully shut off power to 55,000 people in six counties to avoid the risk of their equipment starting a wildfire.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission is now investigating how it was managed.

Just like a circuit breaker in your home, power lines have fail-safes.

At home, the first layer of protection is a GFCI outlet, the kind with a “test” and “reset” button. They trip if there is a load issue, shutting down a hair dryer or curling iron.

The second layer of protection at home would be a circuit breaker. A section of your home would shut down if there is a load problem with an …