Xcel president confronted at Boulder City Council meeting [Video]

BOULDER, Colo. — Xcel Colorado’s president faced tough questions and criticism from Boulder City Councilmembers regarding the handling of preemptive power shut offs during their recent meeting. The session marked the start of what is hoped to be a collaborative effort for future wildfire mitigation responses.

“We do remain confident that… had we not deenergized the lines, we could have seen a wildfire ignite,” President Robert Kenney defended the shut-offs, citing extreme wind conditions, and prioritizing the safety of their customers.

However, at Thursday night’s city council meeting, Kenney announced that the company will be creating a new wildfire mitigation plan following outrage over Xcel’s handling of the planned power outage during the windstorm earlier this month.

One resident, Eva Wheelock, called into the city council meeting during public comment, recounting how the outage shut off …