Residents of Keystone gathered for an informational meeting to prepare for possible power shutoffs proposed by Black Hills Energy as a way to reduce wildfire risk.
The meeting focused on how to keep homes and businesses running during outages, especially through the use of backup generators. Sherry Smith, a local resident who helped organize the event, said the goal was to provide practical information, not to promote sales.
“I’m not here to sell anything,” Smith said. “I want to make sure our communities have the information they need to get through this. That’s especially important for people with medical needs, or homes that rely on electric stair lifts, or elderly people who might struggle with heavy garage doors.”
Smith highlighted concerns for people with health conditions, noting that some residents depend on oxygen machines that require electricity.
“We have people in this area who need oxygen, and they need power for their oxygen generators to work,” she said.
She also expressed concern about the impact on local businesses, warning that power outages could hurt sales tax revenue, which is a key source of income for the city.
Keystone resident Kristy Nemetz said her biggest concern is losing food during a power outage. Because the town is small and remote, she keeps a large supply on hand.
“I have a refrigerator, a freezer, and a backup freezer,” Nemetz said. “If the power is out for 72 hours, I’ll lose all that food.”
Black Hills Energy says these planned power shutoffs would only happen as a last resort. The utility company said it would shut off electricity in high-risk fire areas during extreme weather, but only when necessary and only until conditions improve. The company said it monitors wildfire risk five days in advance and aims to give residents as much warning as possible.
