Thousands of dollars in spoilage: Nearly all of the products in Mountain People’s Co-op’s walk-in refrigerated storage had to be thrown away.[/caption]

With winds of up to 78 miles per hour hitting the area over the weekend, and temperatures dropping significantly, Nederland residents were hit hard with yet another reality of mountain living. But the loss of power to the town and to much of the surrounding community was, to many residents and business owners, an additional and unnecessary blow served by their energy provider.

At around 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 6, Xcel Energy customers began receiving emails, phone calls, and social media updates regarding their power service being purposely shut off from 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon until 12 p.m. the following day.

“Due to exceptionally high winds and high risk of wind-driven wildfire in your area today, electric service at your location will be affected by a temporary safety-related power shutoff beginning around 3 p.m. this afternoon, extending until at least noon Sunday, April 7, though outages are likely to persist beyond that timeframe,” Xcel representatives wrote in their initial emails sent to customers.

“We serve about 1.6 million customers across Colorado and have made the decision to proactively de-energize lines that impact around 55,000 customers. Temporarily shutting power off is intended to prevent our electric system from becoming the source of a wildfire ignition.

“Communities that may be affected by proactive de-energization of lines include areas primarily in Boulder County and small sections of Gilpin, Larimer, Douglas, Broomfield and Jefferson Counties. Customers who use medical equipment that relies on electrical service should take steps to prepare for extended outages.”

Xcel covers the majority of Nederland; the power for the town was shut off shortly after 2 p.m.

With the roughly three hours of warning that Xcel gave to customers, residents and businesses made last-minute preparations not only to be ready for the 21-hour timeframe of outage that Xcel stated, but also for the chance that the power may be out for much longer than that.

Many businesses began shutting their doors at 2 p.m. Restaurant and grocery store employees began working against the clock to preserve their refrigerated and frozen goods, moving their stock into the coldest possible storage space.

Most establishments ran their refrigeration with generators; some scrambled and stored their frozen goods in snow banks. For Busey Brews, it was as easy as moving their indoor storage into their outdoor storage, while B&F Mountain Market had freezer trucks pick up their frozen inventory, and powered the store’s massive cold storage with temporary generators and a Jeep Wrangler.

Xcel provided some information as to how impacted residents should prepare for extended power outages.

“We recommend keeping phones and other devices charged, and building an outage kit with items that do not require electricity, including a battery-powered radio or television, flashlights, batteries, a portable charger, a phone that does not require electricity, a non-electric alarm clock, bottled water and non-perishable food, a manual can opener, first aid kit and extension cords for partial outages.”

The Nederland Colorado Town Hall Facebook page also posted Xcel’s advice, as well as including ways for the community to stay informed of the latest updates related to the weather and the outages.

In addition to contacting Xcel Energy directly by calling (800) 895-1999 for residents or (890) 482-4700 for business owners, those seeking updates, or looking to report an outage, could do so through the My Xcel Energy app or by visiting Xcel Energy’s social media or website.

Nederland residents mostly asked questions on the Nedheads Facebook group page concerning the outage, eliciting answers from others in the community and prompting discussions of ire and commiseration.

Apart from those asking how to charge their electric vehicles, and those realizing that the Town’s two gas stations were also not operational, some members of the community took to social media to share lessons of mountain survival that they have learned over the years.

Those with experience advised others not to repeatedly open and close their fridges and freezers, to keep water in containers for multiple purposes, to check on their neighbors during such times, and to enjoy “disconnecting.”

Most people seemingly agreed that Xcel was doing the right thing in attempting to mitigate the chance of wildfire, while others felt that Xcel’s caution was less about public safety and more about liability.

“It’s all about preventing wildfires, which I definitely think is very important. It may be a little inconvenient, but better than the latter,” one person commented on a Nedheads post.

“It’s about protecting their liability because of the Marshall lawsuits. If it wasn't for that lawsuit I don't think Xcel would care,” another person responded.

Xcel is currently faced with over 280 lawsuits, compiled by Boulder County and filed by local governments, residents, and by the retailer Target, concerning Xcel’s liability in regard to the Marshall Fire.

The Marshall Fire devastated over 6,200 acres of land, and was responsible for the deaths of two people. The fire was reportedly started on December 30, 2021, by a combination of high winds, active power lines, and dry conditions.

Among other reasons why those suing Xcel believe they should be held liable, the lawsuits indicate that Xcel failed to take the responsible measures towards mitigating the chances of wildfire in Boulder County, especially considering the county’s notoriously windy weather.

Others in Nedheads mentioned that such power disconnection methods have become standard in California, after the 2018 Paradise wildfire. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) was found liable for the wildfire that killed 84 people due to their equipment malfunctioning and igniting the fire. PG&E declared bankruptcy in 2019.

Many residents remembered the Marshall fire and commented online about whether they believed this 2024 wind storm was comparable to the one in 2021, which was reported to have up to 115 mile per hour gusts of wind. The wind during the April 6 and 7 windstorm ranged from 70 to 95 miles per hour “across the mountains and the foothills,” according to the National Weather Service.

On Saturday night, before the sun went down and the town became pitch black, those in need of last-minute supplies could rely on the Mountain Man Outdoor Store to be open. And those looking for some communal camaraderie could stop by Knotted Root or Very Nice Brewing Company, where the beer was cold and flowing for as long as there was sunlight.

On Sunday morning, the streets were deserted and most stores stayed shuttered. Several downed trees lay across Highway 119 between Nederland and Black Hawk. The town and the canyon were clear of traffic, as the Eldora Mountain Ski Resort was also without power and closed, so the powder seekers stayed home.

Half of the city of Boulder was without power, causing people to have to navigate intersections without the use of traffic lights.

As noon approached, and the wind continued to howl, people began receiving messages from Xcel stating that the outages were most likely going to persist into Monday.

“As the extreme winds affecting portions of Colorado die down, Xcel Energy crews are out repairing damage to the electric system and restoring service to customers. While many customers will have service restored later today, with the significant number outages from this weather event, this restoration process will extend into Monday, April 8, and possibly longer for some customers,” Xcel’s email reads.

“More than 600 miles of lines were proactively de-energized yesterday, and before power is turned back on, our crews will need to visually inspect the lines to ensure it is safe to do so.

“In addition to the 55,000 customers whose electric service was turned off Saturday as a public safety measure, about 100,000 additional customers also experienced power outages caused by the high winds.”

Businesses and residences outside of Nederland who were able to remain open on Saturday unfortunately lost power due to high winds and downed trees, and were unable to reopen on Sunday. Those who were previously unaffected by Xcel’s decisions suddenly found themselves in the same boat, regardless of being “off grid” or a part of an energy co-op.

In Nederland, as another 24 hours without power loomed over them, the community continued to rage and to rally together. The discourse both online and around town became focused on helping one another.

“Everybody doing ok?” one person posted to the community on Nedheads.

Residents rallied to help those in need, from people with young children who were cold, bored, and hungry, to those who had medical equipment that required power, and even one resident who “lost” their skylight in the wind.

Residents also raged, upset at both Xcel Energy and the Town of Nederland’s perceived “lackluster” response to what some were considering a crisis.

“All of this is especially concerning especially for those with disabilities, those dependent upon medical devices that require power, vulnerable seniors living alone and households with small children,” one person wrote online.

“The power cuts to neighborhoods appear random and seem to include some neighborhoods with underground power lines. This all feels very chaotic and unacceptable. But without a City and County to advocate on our behalf, things with Xcel along with their increasing rate hikes will only continue to worsen.”

“I don't know whether to leave and “try” to afford to stay somewhere tonight, because my 7 year old and I cannot do another night like last night. Many of us are struggling to get through right now as it is, this really doesn't help, and we have no news of a shelter or state of emergency,” another commented.

“I think this is now twice in less than a month where our town government has failed its citizens. There was ample notice that this was going to be at least a 24 hour blackout and to not take action to support those in need is extremely negligent. The Community Center should have been opened as a designated shelter for those in need,” wrote another.

The Nederland Community Center closed on Saturday, April 6, at 3 p.m. as it is normally scheduled to do so. Though the center was open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m on Sunday, with generators running for the community to come warm up, charge their devices, enjoy some coffee, and utilize the working amenities, there were many who believed that the center should have remained open overnight.

Nederland Town staff addressed this concern through the Nederland Colorado Town Hall Facebook account.

“The Town of Nederland works with the Office of Disaster Management during emergencies like this one. The Community Center was never activated by them as a shelter because we were made aware that vulnerable adults were being moved to hotels or medical facilities for overnight care.

“When the Town activates a shelter, Red Cross comes in to provide the personnel, resources and coordination supports. In evaluating the needs yesterday with the Office of Disaster Management, it was identified that the shelter activation was not needed at the time because of those alternative arrangements being made for people.

“Yesterday the Town did assist with some as needed support for individuals who needed power to charge medical equipment. Those arrangements were made directly through emergency services personnel.”

Later on Sunday afternoon, once it was communicated that the outages may persist into Monday, Nederland Town staff posted that there were no plans to keep the community center open past 8 p.m., but that hotel vouchers were available for those with medical equipment needs, and those needing overnight shelter should contact emergency dispatch at 303-441-4444.

“In times like these, it's important to extend a helping hand to one another,” the post from Nederland Colorado Town Hall reads. “Let's check in with our neighbors to see how we can support each other through this situation.”

While residents who had power offered their friends and neighbors a place to stay warm and charge their phones, Nederland’s local businesses served the community as well.

A generator was run in front of Blue Owl, with several power strips hooked up to it for people to stop by and charge their phones. Spinning Silica was open briefly for those who needed more candles, as they had local hive wax candles to offer.

Tres Gringos served chips and salsa, beers and margaritas to those who were starting to feel cabin fever, and Ubon Thai and Kathmandu were both open and able to cook using their gas stoves and ovens.

Just as people were beginning to settle into what they thought would be another night of struggling to stay warm, power was restored to several Nederland neighborhoods at 7:15 p.m. and shut off again a half hour later. By 9 p.m. power was restored and appeared to be staying that way.

Unfortunately, on the morning of Monday, April 8, it was apparent that Nederland’s power outage troubles were not yet over. Xcel customers on Ridge Road and in Eldora were still without power, with no indication as to when it would be restored.

“Over 500 crew members in Colorado are in the field working to inspect power lines, repair damage from high winds and restore electric service to customers,” Xcel’s social media posted.

“As of Monday morning, about 65% of outages have been restored, and we expect about 90% of outages to be resolved by Monday night.

“As wind speeds decreased, we have been able to deploy other inspection tools like helicopters and drones to further speed the restoration process.”

Six schools within the Boulder Valley School District were also without power, including Nederland Elementary and Middle-Senior High Schools, as well as Coal Creek Elementary, Gold Hill Elementary, Jamestown Elementary, and Platt Middle schools.

Furthermore, internet and cell phone providers were also negatively affected, with AT&T and T-Mobile customers suffering without internet for most of the day.

The community continued to discuss the outage on Nedheads, wondering if this was going to be Xcel’s new precedent for windy weather moving forward, and debating how Nederland’s Town staff and Board of Trustees should address Xcel’s actions.

Many residents began questioning whether the Town should pursue alternative options to relying on Xcel, such as promoting a townwide solar initiative, or generators powered by solar and wind turbines. Others also questioned why Xcel has not pursued burying the power lines or replacing them with advanced lines that automatically de-energize when disconnected.

Out on the streets, many of Nederland’s businesses are able to open without a hitch, while others, like the Mountain People’s Co-Op, were sidetracked with the unfortunate task of accounting for their inventory loss.

The Co-Op’s freezers stayed cold enough to ensure the quality of their frozen food. However, the grocery store lost nearly their entire refrigerated walk-in storage, from filled pastas and hummus dip, to all of their deli and dairy goods.

The staff at the Co-Op were currently tabulating their losses over the weekend in order to file a claim with Xcel. And though many stores and restaurants were either wellprepared or were able to scramble to find a solution, surely the Co-Op is not the only Nederland business who suffered loss.

Just before noon on Monday, Xcel sent emails reporting that power had been restored, though there were still those left in the dark as of the writing of this article.

Regardless of whether Xcel pulling the plug is seen as a positive or negative method for ensuring public safety, those residents who were not prepared for this particular reality of mountain living will surely be researching gas generators and solar panels for the near future.