The testimony is part of the commission’s information gathering to write new rules for so-called public safety power shut-offs, called PSPS. “We know being without power is disruptive and can be frustrating, so we take the decision to implement a PSPS very seriously,” Xcel Energy said. “We spoke to Xcel throughout the day, we didn’t have power, they told us multiple conflicting stories,” Plasencia said. In January, 9,000 homes in Larimer and Weld counties were hit with a safety shut-off. After the April shut-off, when some people dependent on home oxygen systems were forced to go to emergency rooms, Xcel Energy and the PUC set out to identify vulnerable households.