A single engine air tanker drops water on the NCAR fire as it burns in the foothills south of the National Center for Atmospheric Research on March 26, 2022 in Boulder, Colorado. A changing climate, drier weather, and more frequent severe weather events mean growing wildfire risk. At Xcel Energy, the highest priority is and always will be public safety, and the company has been working hard to confront this threat.
The work proposed in our Wildfire Mitigation Plan will require substantial investment. While we anticipate that customer bills will increase if the CPUC approves the plan, we will continue to use every option available to get the best prices for customers and keep bills below the national average. We continue to propose complementary mitigation strategies — such as inspections, infrastructure improvements, vegetation management, enhanced powerline safety settings, and an improved Public Safety Power Shutoff program that reflects the feedback we received following the event earlier this year.