YOUR SAFETY IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY.

Last weekend, because of an extreme weather event in which winds reached 100 mph, more than 194,000 of our customers across Colorado faced weather-related power outages. Approximately 139,000 customers lost power because of these powerful winds and 55,000 lost power as part of a proactive safety measure known as a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), which is designed to reduce wildfire risks posed by downed powerlines.

Throughout this extreme wind and weather event and the ensuing power outages, we responded across the front range. Working around the clock, more than 550 Xcel Energy utility workers did what they always do in times of emergency – work as safely and quickly as possible to restore power. None of this would have been possible without the great work of the local first responders and municipal partners who we can’t thank enough for all they did to support our team, our customers, and the communities we are all proud to be a part of.

With respect to keeping our customers informed, we have clearly heard the frustrations and the need to improve our response and communications. While we can’t control the weather, we can control how we respond and when we communicate with our customers during such extreme weather events.

As part of our commitment to you, we will be taking a series of initial actions to:

• Improve our proactive communications about extreme weather events so our customers can better prepare.

• Better inform our customers about what PSPS events are, when they occur, and how to prepare for them.

• Quickly publish maps of the affected areas to keep customers informed of where outages are and the state of our restoration efforts.

• Continue to support line workers who rapidly respond to outages so we can restore the power as quickly and safely as possible.

While we do not make any excuses for the areas in which we need to improve, we want to be very clear that our highest priority is and always will be public safety.

While a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) is a new safety protocol for Xcel Energy, it has become a critical safety measure for the largest leading utilities that operate in areas prone to extreme weather. For us, the decision to initiate any future PSPS events will be based on an analysis of extreme weather conditions, data intelligence models, drone inspection, and the analysis of our energy experts who are committed to ensuring public safety. Above all, shutting off the power in response to extreme weather and wind events will always be done as a last resort to achieve what we can all agree matters most – public safety.

Looking ahead, we are sincerely grateful for the opportunity to serve you and Colorado, and I want to thank you for your continued support. All of us at Xcel Energy remain more committed than ever to getting better, meeting your energy needs, and building the reliable and safe energy future all Coloradoans expect and deserve.