Xcel Energy representatives said Monday that the utility is committing to improving wildfire safety in Boulder, according to a city news release.

The release said Xcel will prioritize Boulder and other communities prone to wildfires for safety investments through 2027. In all, Xcel is expected to commit about $2 billion to wildfire mitigation across the state, according to its Wildfire Mitigation Plan. The proposed agreement made with Boulder is a piece of that larger puzzle that impacts places around the state.

The proposed agreement is how numerous parties come to terms on the way a situation should be resolved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. The agreement was unanimous across 12 parties: Xcel, the city of Boulder, trial staff of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, the Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate, Colorado Energy Consumers, the city of Denver, Colorado Solar and Storage Association and the Coalition for Community Solar Access, Comcast Cable Management LLC, Climax Molybdenum Company, Western Resource Advocates, and CTIA — The Wireless Association.

Monday’s release outlined three major areas of improvement. Xcel’s plan will accelerate wildfire safety upgrades around the city, which includes replacing aging poles and having more fire-resistant equipment. That includes undergrounding and hardening of electric lines that serve critical infrastructure such as the city’s wastewater and water treatment plants, according to the plan.

It will also “enhance safety and transparency” by working with Boulder on how to better communicate and implement planned public safety power shutoffs, according to the release.

In 2024, a wind storm triggered a preemptive power outage — for public safety reasons — from Xcel that left more than 50,000 customers, mostly in Boulder County, without power for days. The plan includes investments in north and south Boulder to reduce risk and public safety power shutoffs.

Boulder was on board with Xcel’s initial plan. The city pushed for some extra precautions, such as a project that could protect the city’s wastewater plant from public safety power shutoffs.

Should the plan be approved by the state Public Utilities Commission, Xcel would commit to notices of public safety power shutoffs 72 hours, 48 hours and 24 hours in advance.

Finally, Xcel will provide “better data and clearer communication” to assist the city in planning and responding during “wildfire risk events,” the Boulder release said.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with stakeholders, putting the safety of our customers first and highlighting the importance of working together to address the increased risk of wildfires in Colorado,” Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy—Colorado, said in a news release from Xcel. “This agreement, if approved by the Commission, will allow us to move forward more quickly to implement important projects to protect our customers and communities. We remain grateful for the ongoing community engagement and support, and we remain committed to working alongside our community partners to mitigate the risk of wildfires.”

Xcel’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan is pending approval from the Public Utilities Commission. The commission will rule on Xcel’s application for approval of the Wildfire Mitigation Plan and public safety power shutoffs after it conducts its hearing in May with a decision likely issued in June, according to the PUC.