AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — Xcel Energy is set to temporarily cut power to over 1,100 customers in Texas and New Mexico today as a precautionary measure to mitigate wildfire risks.
The decision comes in response to weather forecasts predicting extremely high wind speeds and low relative humidity, coupled with abundant fire fuels on the ground.
The company announced that the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) will affect customers in parts of eastern New Mexico and the South Plains region of Texas. The outages are scheduled for varying start times between 11 a.m. central/10 a.m. mountain and 1 p.m. central/12 p.m. mountain.
Xcel Energy emphasized that the PSPS is a “targeted measure of last resort” when other methods are insufficient to ensure public safety. The company also warned that the extreme weather could lead to additional power outages unrelated to the PSPS, as strong winds may damage power lines.
Efforts to restore power will commence once the wildfire and weather-related risks have diminished, which is anticipated to be around 10 p.m. central/9 p.m. mountain time. While some customers may have power restored overnight, others could experience outages until tomorrow or longer if wind damage is severe.
Xcel Energy is actively reaching out to affected customers, particularly those reliant on medical equipment powered by electricity, to prepare for the PSPS and other weather-related outages. Customers can verify if they are subject to the PSPS event by checking their address online and can monitor the status of outages on the Xcel Energy outage map.
“Our top priority is ensuring the safety of our communities, customers, and work crews,” said Xcel Energy.
The company will continue to provide updates on the situation through a dedicated PSPS event web page and the electric service outage map.