Town of Lyons Electric Utility Prepared for High Winds; 
No Planned Power Shutoff Shutoff

Wednesday, December 17

The Town of Lyons’ municipally owned electric utility is prepared for forecasted high winds on Wednesday, December 17. At this time, no proactive power shutoff is planned for Lyons Electric customers.

Town staff and electric crews continue to closely monitor weather conditions and coordinate with regional partners to ensure the safety and reliability of electric service throughout the community.

“We understand how essential safe, reliable electricity is for our residents and businesses,” said Victoria Simonsen, Town Administrator “Our crews are prepared to respond as needed, and we continue to take proactive steps to reduce risk during extreme weather events.”

According to the National Weather Service, wind gusts of up to 45–50 mph are possible across Boulder County and the foothills surrounding Lyons on Wednesday, combined with dry conditions. Xcel Energy, which serves several neighboring communities, has announced it is evaluating the use of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) between 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. (MT) on Wednesday, to reduce wildfire risk.

Important Information for Lyons Residents

Electric service within the Town of Lyons is provided by locally owned municipal power, not Xcel Energy. Any potential PSPS implemented by Xcel Energy would not affect customers served by the Town of Lyons Electric Utility. There are two other electric utilities with power lines running through various parts of Town that are not part of Lyons Electric and not under our authority to control. Customers of Longmont Power or PVREA should follow their updates.

That said, Town staff and the Utilities Department are actively monitoring conditions and may take operational precautions if necessary, during this extreme wind event, particularly given ongoing drought conditions and limited snow cover.

How Lyons Electric Prepares for High Winds

To reduce risk and improve system safety during severe weather, the Town of Lyons Electric Utility takes several proactive measures, including:

• The vast majority of the distribution lines from the substation east of Lyons and into Lyons are underground. Many, but not all the homes and businesses in the Town of Lyons have utility lines underground.
• Conducting regular tree trimming to reduce the likelihood of vegetation contacting power lines.
• Infrastructure upgrades to continue to gradually undergrounding portions of the electric system where feasible to reduce exposure to wind and wildfire risk.
• Coordinating closely with emergency management and regional utility partners during extreme weather events.

Be Prepared for Any Power Outage
While no outage is currently anticipated for Lyons, this is a good opportunity to remind residents to be prepared in the event of a power disruption.

Build a Home Emergency Kit
Residents are encouraged to keep phones and essential devices charged and to assemble an outage kit in advance with items that do not require electricity, such as:     

• Flashlights   
• Batteries   
• Battery-powered radio
• Backup phone chargers   
• Non-electric alarm clock   
• Bottled water and non-perishable food   
• Manual can opener   
• First aid kit   
• Extension cords (for partial outages)
• It’s always a good idea to have 5 gallons of water available for household use in the event of an emergency
•  Knowing how to manually open garage doors if needed   

Boulder County Public Information officials also recommend having a basic “go bag” ready with essentials such as a flashlight, water, food, medications and emergency contact information. If anyone in your household relies on medical equipment that requires power, it’s especially important to have a plan in place, including alternative charging options or a temporary location where power is available.

Residents who receive power from Xcel Energy, Longmont Power or PVREA elsewhere in the region should monitor updates directly from each of them, including outage maps and PSPS notifications, as restoration may take several hours or longer following a shutoff.

Sign up for Emergency Notifications and Alerts

We encourage residents to sign up for email updates from the Town of Lyons
https://www.townoflyons.com/289/Stay-Informed  BOCO Alerts are emergency alerts that share information about current emergencies or disasters and the actions you should take to keep yourself safe. To register to receive alerts visit www.BOCOAlert.org and create an account.
 
 The Town will share updates if conditions change or additional action is needed.