Delivering Scalable, High-Performance Vegetation Management for Xcel Energy in Colorado

The Bottom Line

ACRT helped Xcel Energy rapidly scale its wildfire mitigation and vegetation management program in Colorado — achieving record production, expanding scope, and maintaining compliance under increasing regulatory pressure.

The Challenge

• New wildfire mitigation requirements increased inspection scope and complexity
• Surge in customer inquiries and refusals strained contractor capacity
• Need to scale quickly without sacrificing safety, compliance, or efficiency

ACRT’s Approach

• Rapid Workforce Scaling: Expanded and cross-trained field teams for multi-scope flexibility
• Operational Optimization: Reduced travel time and costs by aligning work geographically
• Full Program Support: Took ownership of dispatch, inspections, customer issues, and special projects
• Technology Integration: Leveraged remote sensing and drones for high-risk area coverage
• Embedded Partnership: Worked directly with utility teams and contractors to improve execution and reduce rework

Quantifiable Results

Record Production & Delivery

• 3,323+ Quality Assurance (QA) miles completed (12% above original request)
• 5,080 dispatch requests managed (full program ownership)
• 600+ transmission miles and 200+ distribution miles inspected
• 5,916 trees identified through distribution patrols

Scaled Program Growth (2025 → 2026)

• +38% increase in QA demand supported
• +294% increase in transmission hazard tree (HT) scope (expanded to all T2/T3 lines)
• +2,211% increase in distribution HT scope (full high-risk coverage)
• Added 4,001 dead, sick, and/or failing (DSAF) pole inspections (new scope)

Operational Efficiency & Impact

• Reduced drive-time and improved productivity through smarter resource deployment
• Minimized contractor rework through field support and coordination
• Improved data workflows and turnaround times with dedicated database specialists

System-Level Impact

• Enabled Xcel to achieve 3,000+ miles of distribution work and 60,000+ trees removed in a single year (highest in 10+ years)

What This Means for You

Faster Program Scale-Up

ACRT can quickly ramp workforce and operations to meet aggressive timelines and regulatory requirements.

Lower Costs Through Efficiency

Optimized routing, flexible staffing, and integrated workflows reduce wasted time and overall program costs.

Improved Compliance & Risk Reduction

Full coverage of high-risk areas and proactive inspections help ensure regulatory compliance and reduce wildfire risk.

Single Partner, Full Support

From planning and inspections to dispatch, audits, and customer interactions — ACRT fills operational gaps so your internal teams can stay focused on priorities.

Proven, Repeatable Results

Demonstrated ability to exceed production targets, expand scope, and deliver measurable outcomes in complex utility environments.

Client Perspective

“You hit all the targets we established earlier this year and took on many additional tasks and projects— all successful. In 2025, the PSCo (Public Service Company of Colorado) VM program completed a historic amount of work… We exceeded all our production goals. Simply incredible.” — Nick D’Amico, Xcel Energy

Why ACRT

ACRT combines field expertise, scalable resources, and operational innovation to deliver results utilities can rely on — especially when the stakes are highest. Whether you’re facing new regulatory demands, increasing wildfire risk, or pressure to improve efficiency, ACRT is ready to help.