MESSAGE FROM MOUNTAIN ELECTRIC:

Portions of MPE's System Placed on Fire Protection Settings, Effective April 1

Mountain Parks Electric (MPE) will place portions of its electric distribution system on fire protection settings beginning April 1, 2026, as a wildfire-prevention measure during wildfire season.

This higher-sensitivity setting, known as “one shot,” is a standard wildfire-mitigation measure used by electric utilities to reduce the risk of ignition. Additional portions of the system may be placed on this setting if area county officials implement fire restrictions.

When areas of MPE’s system are under a Red Flag Warning, issued by the National Weather Service, MPE will use its Hot Line Tag setting. This setting cuts off power even faster than one shot; it is sensitive enough that MPE also uses it to protect crews working on energized power lines. For more information about MPE’s wildfire mitigation efforts, visit www.MPEI.com/Wildfire-Mitigation.

When fire protection settings are in use and a fault is detected—such as a tree limb contacting a power line—power shuts off almost instantly instead of attempting to automatically re-energize. When an outage occurs and fire protection settings are active, linemen must physically patrol the affected line before power can be restored to ensure the hazard has been cleared and that re-energizing will not recreate the risk. Because MPE’s service territory is large and rural, these patrols can take time, but they are critical for public and firefighter safety.

"I know how challenging and frustrating power outages can be. At MPE, our responsibility to protect our community and the long-term reliability of our system must come before convenience. This is why I ask that you all have patience with us this summer as we operate our system with wildfire prevention as our top priority," said MPE CEO Virginia Harman. "To keep your family, my family, and our communities safe as we face this season together."

While MPE’s system is designed to stay on through severe conditions, fire protection settings do the opposite: they cut power almost instantly at the first contact or fault on a power line, reducing the chance that a line issue could spark a wildfire. MPE invests significant time and planning into these settings to help prevent the need for public safety power shutoffs (PSPS), which have created challenges for utility customers along the Front Range.

After one of the warmest and driest winters on record, conditions across our region may contribute to a severe wildfire season. In preparation, MPE has been taking proactive steps for months to reduce wildfire risk and strengthen system reliability. MPE’s Engineering and Operations teams have strengthened equipment that helps detect and isolate problems on the system. Staff also developed a more robust plan that reaches deeper into the distribution network, improving how issues are detected and isolated.

In simple terms, more equipment can now identify what’s happening on the line and respond quickly when something goes wrong. This allows the system to break into smaller sections during an outage.

For information on current power outages, MPE’s outage map is updated automatically and is available at https://ebill.mpei.com/maps/OutageWebMap/ or by using the Outage Map link at www.MPEI.com/OUTAGE.

The SmartHub app/web portal can also be used to report outages. If you have not already, please consider updating your contact information and registering for outage alerts in SmartHub by clicking the “My Account” button at the top of the www.mpei.com homepage. Through your SmartHub account, you can receive outage and other notifications, report outages, and get updates.

With MPE’s outage management system software and AMI metering system, MPE can detect and respond to most outages immediately. During outages, MPE’s phone system can become overloaded. Please know MPE works to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

If your power has not been restored within a couple of hours, please try calling again at 970-887-3378, which is available 24/7.