Texas has accused Xcel Energy of “blatant negligence” for causing the state’s largest wildfire in history. (Utility Dive)
Attorney General Ken Paxton alleges that Xcel ignored a contractor’s urgent warning to replace a “decayed” utility pole just three weeks before it snapped, sparking the February 2024 Smokehouse Creek Fire (which killed three and scorched over 1M acres).
Texas is seeking a court order to legally ban Xcel from raising rates to pay for the disaster and to prohibit the company from advertising its grid as “safe” or “reliable.”
Xcel, which has already settled $361M in private claims related to the fire, called the lawsuit “disappointing” and vowed to fight it, arguing it has acted in good faith to compensate victims despite disputing the negligence claims.