power lines
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Xcel Energy prepares for power shutoffs due to high winds
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Forecast high winds along the Front Range on Wednesday revive memories of the devastating 2021 Marshall fire that destroyed more than 1,000 homes when gusts downed energized power lines. Xcel Energy now weighs proactive power cuts to avoid similar ignitions amid dangerously dry conditions. The Marshall fire erupted under comparable wind events with gusts exceeding…
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Colorado Supreme Court weighs Xcel’s liability for man’s electrocution
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The Colorado Supreme Court appeared hesitant on Tuesday to endorse the idea that the state’s utility regulator could use a rate-setting document to broadly immunize a company from liability against electrocutions. Francisco Cuevas, the owner of Outdoor Design Landscaping, was hanging Christmas lights at a Lakewood woman’s home in late 2017 when he received a debilitating…
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Xcel Energy not immune from man’s electrocution lawsuit, appeals court rules
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Colorado’s second-highest court ruled last week that Xcel Energy is not immune from lawsuit after its power lines delivered a debilitating shock to a landscaping worker who was attempting to hang Christmas lights on a nearby tree. Xcel sought to avoid liability under two different mechanisms. First, the state’s High Voltage Safety Act requires parties working…
