UPDATE: Xcel Energy Equipment Failure Causes Power Outage in Hudson

UPDATE (1:01 p.m., July 19, 2011): Liz Wolf Green, spokesperson for Xcel Energy, said that the outage ocurred at about 2:20 a.m. on Tuesday morning and it affected 5,184 customers. The outage was a result of an equipment failure at a nearby substation. Neither the weather nor any vehicle accident was responsible. Power was restored by 4 a.m.

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High temperatures have forced just about everyone to run air conditioning or fans all day and night in Hudson this week. That additional demand has put a strain on the power grid and may have contributed to an overnight power outage in Hudson's Red Cedar Canyon neighborhood.

Red Cedar Canyon resident Emily Hodge said she woke up at about 2:30 a.m. this morning and noticed her power was out. When she called Xcel Energy, she reached the company's automated message, which said there were more calls than normal because of power outages in the Twin Cities due to excessive heat conditions and resulting power demands.

"When I woke up around 6 a.m., power was back on," Hodge said. "According to our blinking electronic devices, power went back on around 3:30 a.m."

Hudson Police Department and Hudson Public Works didn't have any additional informtion about the power outage. Xcel Energy has not yet responded to calls for comment.

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Xcel Energy links

If your power goes out, call 1-800-895-1999 to report an outage or to hear outage information and service restoration estimates.

• View Xcel's current Outage Map
• Outage FAQs
• Preparing yourself for an outage