Power Outage Disrupts Southeast Denver Metro Area, Xcel Energy Confirms Multiple Substations Involved
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Updated on: February 1, 2026 / 5:01 PM MST / CBS Colorado
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A widespread power outage has affected residents across the southeast Denver metro area on Sunday afternoon, according to Xcel Energy. The utility company has confirmed that the issue began at one of its substations and is currently working on repairs and identifying the cause.
Xcel Energy's statement to CBS Colorado reads:
"We can confirm a significant power outage on the southeast side of the metro. The outage started at one of our substations, and our teams are on-site to address the issue and restore power as quickly and safely as possible. We appreciate our customers' patience during this time."
The company later revealed that multiple substations are involved, which explains the extensive nature of the outage.
Denver International Airport was also impacted by the power outage, affecting its train systems. The airport advised passengers to follow instructions from airport employees while they work to restore power to the trains and other systems.
According to Xcel Energy, 148,000 of its customers experienced a power outage this afternoon. As of 4:45 p.m., approximately 40,000 Xcel customers remained without power.
CORE Electric reported that 141,222 of its customers lost power across Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, and Elbert counties. By 4:45 p.m., the number had decreased to 32,051.
Here's a breakdown of the affected areas:
- Adams County: 4,866 customers served, with power restored.
- Arapahoe County: 26,866 customers served, 18,052 affected (67.19%).
- Douglas County: 99,138 customers served, 13,307 affected (13.42%).
- Elbert County: 10,332 customers served, 692 affected (6.69%).
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office and Parker Police Department received numerous calls regarding the outages. They assured residents that they are aware of the issue and urged them to call 911 only in emergencies. For non-emergency situations, residents can contact the non-emergency line at (303) 660-7500.
The Parker Police Department also mentioned that both emergency and non-emergency lines were out of service on Sunday afternoon but were restored around 4:25 p.m.
Aurora 911 was temporarily affected by the outage but has since resumed operations.
This story is ongoing, and further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
