YOUR AD HERE »

Todd Gourley: Xcel dropped the ball

Todd Gourley
Breckenridge

Xcel Energy’s policy regarding cutting and/or trimming trees to protect the transmission/distribution lines has never been an issue for the residences of Peak 7.

Xcel’s spokesman Mark Stutz says “utility is not required to clear the debris after the trees are cut.” Well, why not? We believe it is time for this to change – for many reasons:

• The fire danger increases once the dead trees are on the ground.



• The dead fall is a safety hazard especially in a residential area.

• The slash will eventually end up in the ditches, clogging them up for drainage.



• The vacant lot next door and National Forest may never get cleaned up.

• No one likes it when they are impacted by a job that is incomplete.

If the plan was to never cut up the fallen trees and remove the slash, why were the Asplundh trucks pulling around chippers for months? Was this just a cover?

Xcel’s Mark Stutz also said: “We’ve really done them a favor because they would have to move these trees anyway.” Really! You actually said that?

For all the residences that will be affected by tree trimming of the “150 miles of distribution lines and 80 miles of transmission lines,” better get a neighborhood plan for finishing the job because Xcel has dropped the ball on this one!


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.

Summit Daily is embarking on a multiyear project to digitize its archives going back to 1989 and make them available to the public in partnership with the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. The full project is expected to cost about $165,000. All donations made in 2023 will go directly toward this project.

Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.