How many chances does a public utility company get?

How often does a town have to ask for better service while listening to excuses, month after month?

When is someone going to suffer severe health issues because there was no power to keep their house warm, their oxygen pumping?

What of those who are able to live here because they can work from home—on their computers, which go down when the power does?

Three Xcel executives listened to a long line of residents express their frustration, anger and fear at the Nederland Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday night. They were responding to the recent power outages that closed down businesses, darkened homes, and fried computers.

They asked the Board to consider moving to United Power, which seems to have little or no interruption of service. They said Xcel was too big to care about the small Town of Nederland.

Xcel has been very visible of late—employees working on lines along the highway, day after day, cherry picker after cherry picker. Xcel says that these updates will improve the service. So far, the work has caused innumerable problems, some of them dangerous.

On Tuesday night, a line of disgruntled citizens vented their disgust, some of them disabled people who fear for their very lives, and are afraid to go home to a dark, cold house—or wake up in one.

This is not right.

We ask the BOT to come up with alternatives or tell Xcel to peddle their energy somewhere else.