When the Grid Goes Quiet: Power Reliability and Boulder’s Housing Standards

Power reliability has rarely been a defining concern for Boulder homeowners. Historically, the city’s infrastructure has been dependable enough that backup systems were more of a theoretical consideration than a practical necessity. The recent planned power outage, however, offered a clearer view into how today’s housing stock performs when electricity is intentionally taken offline.

Boulder’s approach to development has increasingly emphasized sustainability, energy efficiency, and long-term environmental impact. Updated regulations adopted last year, which restrict gas appliances in new construction and major remodels, reflect that direction. The intent is to reduce emissions and accelerate electrification across the housing stock. In many respects, the policy aligns with the city’s values and long-term planning goals.

What the planned outage highlighted is how limited redundancy can be in fully electrified homes. Under current regulations, homeowners are generally unable to install gas-powered generators for emergency use. During an outage — even one that is scheduled and communicated in advance — essential systems such as heating, refrigeration, and certain medical or home infrastructure functions depend entirely on grid availability.

Modern construction standards, including improved insulation and high-performance building envelopes, reduce overall energy demand and improve efficiency. These measures are meaningful and necessary. However, efficiency does not equate to resilience. When power is unavailable, even well-insulated homes face functional constraints that insulation alone cannot resolve.

From a real estate perspective, this is an increasingly relevant consideration. Buyers tend to evaluate homes not only based on sustainability metrics, but also on how properties perform under less-than-ideal conditions. Questions around backup power, winter readiness, and long-term livability are becoming part of broader housing conversations, particularly in markets where expectations around comfort and reliability are high.

There is room for policy refinement that acknowledges both sustainability goals and practical resilience. Allowing narrowly defined, code-compliant gas systems for emergency backup purposes could provide an additional layer of protection without undermining broader emissions objectives. The recent outage did expose a flaw in Boulder’s infrastructure and energy regulations, which could be remedied by amending the natural gas appliance law to allow for home owners and businesses to install gas generators for these emergencies.