Strong winds caused power outages in Jefferson County, forcing businesses like The Spot gym and Holidaily Brewing to adapt or face major financial losses.
GOLDEN, Colo. — Strong winds and widespread power outages across Jefferson County are forcing local businesses to make tough decisions — and, in some cases, brace for significant financial losses.
At The Spot climbing gym in Golden, staff were able to stay open despite being without electricity during business hours since Wednesday. Large windows and abundant natural light allowed climbers to continue using the facility, even as much of the surrounding area remained dark.
“If this gym didn’t have as many windows as it does, I don’t think we’d be open. So we’re lucky that we so much natural light, or else we’d just be closed,” said front desk worker Atticus Yermakov.
Still, the lack of power is limiting operations. Employees are using headlamps and daylight to keep customers safe, but once the sun goes down, the gym plans to close early due to visibility concerns.
Down the road, the impacts are far more costly at Holidaily Brewing.
Generators are keeping the taproom open so customers can still buy beer to go, but the brewery’s production facility remains shut down without electricity. Without power, the company cannot can or package beer — and more critically, cannot keep beer at the stable temperatures required during brewing and fermentation.
Founder and ‘Chief Brewista’ Karen Hertz said the company may be forced to dump roughly 260 barrels of beer, the equivalent of about 80,000 cans, if power is not restored soon.
“This is tens to a hundred thousand dollars for us, because it’s dumping all that beer out and losing all those sales, right? So, it compounds for a company like ours,” Hertz said.
Hertz said temperature control is essential to maintaining beer quality, and even short disruptions can create ripple effects that last long after the lights come back on.
“I think people don’t understand the ripple effect of how something like this can impact small businesses,” she said.
As outages stretch on, business owners are also questioning whether utilities will offer any form of reimbursement or relief. Hertz said the financial strain goes beyond lost product and sales, extending to insurance, payroll and long-term sustainability.
“Everything from that to insurance, like this is going to impact the economy so much and these small businesses so much,” she said. “If this is the new normal, we need to have a plan.”
Xcel Energy has said its immediate focus remains on restoring power safely as wind conditions improve. For now, businesses across Jefferson County are left waiting — hoping outages end before temporary disruptions turn into lasting losses.
