Colorado homeowners have now watched Xcel Energy do the same thing twice, with dangerous winds forecast, the utility cuts power on purpose rather than risk a spark. In April 2024, that meant about 55,000 Denver-metro customers going dark to prevent a repeat of the Marshall Fire, the most destructive wildfire in state history. In December 2025, it happened again and worse: Xcel deliberately shut off power to roughly 52,000 customers across Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties as wind gusts topped 100 mph at several mountain stations, and by 8 p.m. that evening about 120,000 Coloradans were without power statewide once storm-caused outages were added to the planned shutoff. Colorado has no regional grid operator; Xcel Energy and Colorado Springs Utilities run their own systems on the Western grid, and they are increasingly willing to pull the plug themselves when conditions turn dangerous. Add the winter blizzards that snap lines from Denver to the Western Slope, and backup power becomes a practical question for most homes. If you’re already comparing Colorado solar quotes, remember a grid-tied rooftop system shuts off in any outage (anti-islanding rules) unless you also have storage.
When the utility pulls the plug on purpose, twice now
A public-safety power shutoff can last a day or more, and it happens on the driest, windiest days of the year: exactly when you don’t want a gas generator running outside. The December 2025 event showed how fast the numbers can grow: wind gusts hit 110 mph at Keystone, 109 at Marshall in Boulder County, and over 100 at Winter Park and Berthoud Pass, and Xcel was still weighing a second shutoff for the following day as the first one dragged past 100,000 customers still dark that night. A Jackery is zero-emission, LiFePO4, and near-silent at about 30 decibels, so it can run indoors. The HomePower 3000 keeps the fridge, medical devices, Wi-Fi, lights, and a gas furnace’s fan going for one to two days, with about 3,072Wh and 3,600W output, and its included panels recharge it in Colorado’s strong high-elevation sun.
Current price of the HomePower 3000 at Jackery (panels included)
Winter is the harder test
A wind shutoff is deliberate and forecast; a blizzard just hits. When heavy snow takes down lines around Fort Collins or Colorado Springs and the temperature drops, losing the furnace is the real danger. For a bigger home or a heavier heating load, the Solar Generator 5000 Plus delivers 5,040Wh and 7,200W with both 120V and 240V, expandable to 60kWh: enough to run a furnace blower plus several rooms, or handle the surge of larger appliances, through a multi-day outage.
Solar Generator 5000 Plus specs and price at Jackery (7,200W, 120V/240V)
Most Colorado homes land in between, and that’s the HomePower 3600 Plus: 3,584Wh, 3,600W, expandable to 21kWh, and able to tie into your circuits through a transfer switch. It carries the gas furnace’s blower, the fridge, lights, and Wi-Fi through a Boulder wind shutoff or a wildfire-season event, with room to add batteries for more runtime.
HomePower 3600 Plus specs and price at Jackery (3,584Wh, expandable)
How long each Jackery runs a Colorado home’s essentials
| Load | Typical draw | Energy per day |
|---|---|---|
| Fridge/freezer | ~150W running (cycling) | ~1,200Wh |
| Gas furnace blower + ignition | ~400 to 600W while running | ~3,000 to 5,000Wh in deep cold |
| Wi-Fi router | ~10W | ~240Wh |
| LED lights (ten bulbs) | ~50W | ~300Wh (6 hrs) |
| Phone and laptop charging | ~20 to 60W | ~150 to 250Wh |
| CPAP (humidifier off) | ~40W | ~400Wh per night |
| Sump or well pump | ~800 to 1,300W while running | ~500 to 1,000Wh |
| Space heater | 1,500W | Not recommended |
Fridge, Wi-Fi, lights, and phones come to roughly 1,900Wh a day. Add the furnace blower in a winter shutoff or blizzard and the day climbs toward 5,000 to 7,000Wh. A HomePower 3000 covers the lighter load for one to two days per charge; add the furnace and it’s closer to a day per charge, refilled by the panels once the wind and cloud pass.
| Unit | Capacity / output | Best for in Colorado | Retailer link |
|---|---|---|---|
| HomePower 3000 | 3,072Wh · 3,600W · panels included | Essentials for 1 to 2 days of a wind shutoff or blizzard outage | Check the price |
| HomePower 3600 Plus | 3,584Wh · 3,600W · to 21kWh | A follow-up shutoff or multi-day cold snap with the furnace on a transfer switch | Check the price |
| Solar Generator 5000 Plus | 5,040Wh · 7,200W · 120V/240V · to 60kWh | Well pump or other 240V loads through a week-long restoration | Check the price |
One detail Colorado’s climate rewards: these units recharge from the sun, and the state’s high-elevation air is thin and clear, so the panels often top the battery back up between storm bands or on the calm, bright day after a wind event has passed. That’s what lets a single unit stretch across a multi-day event instead of draining once and quitting.
Battery versus gas generator on a red-flag day
A gas generator is the wrong tool for exactly the weather that triggers a Colorado shutoff: it runs loud, needs fuel stored on-site, and vents exhaust that has to stay well away from the house on a day when high wind is already the hazard everyone is worried about.
- Indoor safety. A battery station vents nothing and runs from a closet or mudroom with the doors shut.
- Noise. About 30 decibels versus 60 to 90 for gas.
- Fire risk. A gas generator running outdoors on a red-flag wind day is its own ignition risk; a battery has none.
- Cold starting. Push a button, or fight a pull cord at altitude in freezing wind.
- Running cost. Sunlight is free. A multi-day shutoff on gasoline is not, especially if the nearest open station is also without power.
- What gas still does better. A very long outage with no sun, and whole-house 240V at a lower upfront cost.
Set-up checklist before fire season and the first snow
- Charge to full and top up monthly, year-round: Colorado’s two hazards sit at opposite ends of the calendar.
- Keep it indoors, away from an unheated garage where cold cuts battery performance.
- Map which outlets and which loads. Fridge, furnace fan, medical devices, one lamp per room.
- Buy extension cords rated for the load. A short 12-gauge cord for the fridge and furnace runs.
- Test the furnace on the battery once before the season starts.
- Keep the panels accessible and clear of snow.
- Pair the HomePower 3600 Plus with a transfer switch for hardwired circuits like the furnace. Licensed electrician only.
- Sign up for Xcel’s PSPS alerts so a planned shutoff never catches you with a dead battery.
Whichever fits, set it up before fire season and the first snow, and it’s charged and ready when the grid, or the utility, pulls power. Current prices for all three are listed on Jackery’s site.
Current Jackery prices and lineup at Jackery
Keep reading: Colorado solar incentives & costs · Best solar generators for home backup (Utah) · Best solar generators for home backup (New Mexico)