Crypto News: High wildfire risk leaves customers in the dark

Xcel Energy will begin shutting off electricity on Wednesday for about 50,000 customers in Colorado's Rocky Mountain region, including Denver, amid high-wind advisories and warnings from National Weather Service. The move is intended to reduce the risk of fires from toppled power lines as the area experiences a stretch of dry conditions and near-record warm weather.

Once a California phenomenon, a growing number of utilities across the country are opting to turn off power to prevent their equipment from sparking catastrophic wildfires — and to avoid being held liable for the billions of dollars in damages that result from them. In the fire-prone US West, companies serving about 24 million homes and businesses have such plans in place. In Colorado, overlapping storms in some areas mean some customers could be without power for more than three days, Josh Saul and Brian K. Sullivan report. Today on Bloomberg: Colorado Shutoffs Have Potential to Leave Some in Dark for Days

— Linda Poon

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