Reliability & Outages
The average American experienced about ~10 hours of power outages in 2024. Excluding major events like hurricanes, the baseline is roughly 126 minutes. Grid reliability has become a growing concern as extreme weather intensifies and aging infrastructure strains under rising demand.
How long do outages last?
The System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) tracks how many minutes per year the typical customer loses power. The national trend shows a clear upward drift, punctuated by spikes in major-event years.
Average Power Outage Duration Over Time
System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI), US customer-weighted average
Sources & methodology
SAIDI measures the average total duration of power interruptions per customer per year, weighted by number of customers served. Data aggregated from ~950 utility reports filed annually with the EIA.
Including major event days (hurricanes, ice storms, etc.) causes large year-to-year variation. Toggle to "Without Major Event Days" for a steadier trend.
The average US customer experienced about 10 hours of power outages in 2024 — but excluding major events, the baseline is roughly 126 minutes.
Where is the grid least reliable?
Reliability varies dramatically by state. Southeastern and Gulf Coast states bear the brunt of hurricane exposure, while states with aging distribution networks or extreme winter weather also see elevated outage durations.
Power Outage Duration by State
SAIDI by state (incl. major event days), 2024
Sources & methodology
Customer-weighted average outage duration (SAIDI) for each state. Darker colors indicate longer average outages. Southeastern and Gulf Coast states tend to experience more outage minutes due to hurricane and severe weather exposure.
State averages are computed from individual utility reports weighted by customers served. States with few reporting utilities may have less reliable averages.
Do outages and prices correlate?
States that experience longer outages also tend to have more frequent ones — but the link between reliability and electricity prices is weaker than you might expect. Many factors beyond grid performance drive what you pay per kilowatt-hour.
Outage Duration vs Frequency by State
SAIDI vs SAIFI (incl. major event days), 2024
Sources & methodology
Each dot is a US state. States with longer average outage duration (SAIDI) tend to also have more frequent interruptions (SAIFI). Data is customer-weighted from utility reports.
Southeastern and Gulf Coast states often appear in the upper right due to hurricane exposure. Some states have few reporting utilities, which can skew averages.
Do Unreliable Grids Cost More?
SAIDI vs residential electricity price by state (incl. major event days), 2024
Sources & methodology
Compares each state's average outage duration (SAIDI) against its residential electricity price. If poor reliability correlated with higher prices, points would trend upward to the right.
Electricity prices are driven by many factors (fuel mix, regulation, geography) beyond grid reliability. This chart shows correlation, not causation.