On Sunday, Xcel issued a warning that it might shut off power ahead of high winds on Monday in Denver and surrounding counties. The shutdown never happened, but it made us wonder: How often does Xcel shut off power, what goes into that decision and how does it work?

During bouts of high winds and dry temperatures, Xcel Energy has two ways to reduce the risk that a powerline will spark a fire.

The first option is less dramatic.

On days like Monday, Xcel changes how it handles problems with lines.

Normally, if a tree branch or other debris falls on a power line, it will reset automatically, as long as the object doesn’t stay on the line.

But during high winds, “Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings” (EPSS) can be enacted. In this mode, debris causes a line to turn off immediately. It will

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