Major power outage reports by state
Texas appears in the most (355), then California (327) and Washington (174). Severe weather is behind 37% of all reports. 978 reports list a customer count and 725 of those list 50,000 or more. Source: DOE Form OE-417, 9 Dec 2024 copy.
Reports per million residents
- 0.0 to 5.7
- 5.7 to 9.9
- 9.9 to 15.6
- 15.6 to 21.2
- 21.2 to 85.2
Darker means more OE-417 reports per million residents, 2014 to 2023. Click a state for its main page; states with an outage page are linked in the table below.
All states in one table
| Alabama | 51 | 10.1 | 24 | 82% | 16% | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Arizona | 26 | 3.6 | 2 | 12% | 46% | 2014 |
| Arkansas | 64 | 21.1 | 26 | 61% | 22% | 2020 |
| California | 327 | 8.3 | 72 | 28% | 39% | 2020 |
| Colorado | 38 | 6.5 | 1 | 8% | 37% | 2020 |
| Connecticut | 58 | 16.1 | 42 | 86% | 5% | 2020 |
| Delaware | 25 | 24.9 | 12 | 52% | 36% | 2020 |
| District of Columbia | 9 | 13.4 | 1 | 22% | 11% | 2018 |
| Florida | 78 | 3.6 | 17 | 41% | 24% | 2023 |
| Georgia | 59 | 5.5 | 21 | 75% | 20% | 2023 |
| Hawaii | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Idaho | 39 | 20.6 | 2 | 13% | 74% | 2021 |
| Illinois | 50 | 3.9 | 18 | 46% | 18% | 2023 |
| Indiana | 31 | 4.6 | 10 | 35% | 26% | 2021 |
| Iowa | 20 | 6.3 | 3 | 35% | 25% | 2020 |
| Kansas | 31 | 10.6 | 15 | 65% | 13% | 2021 |
| Kentucky | 53 | 11.7 | 16 | 38% | 30% | 2020 |
| Louisiana | 101 | 21.9 | 37 | 55% | 11% | 2021 |
| Maine | 83 | 60.3 | 40 | 59% | 4% | 2020 |
| Maryland | 38 | 6.2 | 14 | 42% | 26% | 2023 |
| Massachusetts | 73 | 10.4 | 46 | 74% | 11% | 2020 |
| Michigan | 113 | 11.2 | 74 | 70% | 9% | 2023 |
| Minnesota | 44 | 7.7 | 10 | 27% | 27% | 2020 |
| Mississippi | 62 | 21.0 | 23 | 60% | 23% | 2020 |
| Missouri | 61 | 9.9 | 27 | 57% | 23% | 2021 |
| Montana | 18 | 16.3 | 1 | 6% | 33% | 2022 |
| Nebraska | 35 | 17.8 | 7 | 31% | 14% | 2021 |
| Nevada | 54 | 17.2 | 9 | 11% | 69% | 2020 |
| New Hampshire | 58 | 41.8 | 39 | 81% | 10% | 2020 |
| New Jersey | 34 | 3.7 | 15 | 41% | 35% | 2020 |
| New Mexico | 28 | 13.2 | 2 | 11% | 29% | 2023 |
| New York | 98 | 4.9 | 26 | 33% | 30% | 2020 |
| North Carolina | 72 | 6.8 | 42 | 78% | 12% | 2020 |
| North Dakota | 31 | 39.8 | 1 | 19% | 32% | 2020 |
| Ohio | 67 | 5.7 | 30 | 45% | 21% | 2020 |
| Oklahoma | 49 | 12.3 | 15 | 45% | 27% | 2019 |
| Oregon | 90 | 21.2 | 10 | 13% | 62% | 2014 |
| Pennsylvania | 81 | 6.2 | 27 | 35% | 35% | 2020 |
| Puerto Rico | 18 | n/a | 7 | 0% | 0% | 2016 |
| Rhode Island | 57 | 52.0 | 44 | 91% | 2% | 2020 |
| South Carolina | 58 | 11.1 | 37 | 76% | 12% | 2018 |
| South Dakota | 14 | 15.6 | 1 | 29% | 21% | 2020 |
| Tennessee | 53 | 7.6 | 19 | 57% | 25% | 2015 |
| Texas | 355 | 12.0 | 99 | 45% | 24% | 2021 |
| Utah | 60 | 18.0 | 4 | 2% | 87% | 2019 |
| Vermont | 55 | 85.2 | 40 | 89% | 5% | 2020 |
| Virginia | 41 | 4.7 | 25 | 71% | 22% | 2018 |
| Washington | 174 | 22.5 | 44 | 31% | 42% | 2023 |
| West Virginia | 32 | 17.9 | 22 | 72% | 19% | 2020 |
| Wisconsin | 46 | 7.8 | 15 | 33% | 22% | 2021 |
| Wyoming | 18 | 31.0 | 0 | 6% | 56% | 2019 |
Download all 2,516 reports as CSV
Click a header to sort. Reports that name several states count once in each. 54 reports name no state we could read and are in the CSV only.
Reports by year and cause
Reports by year: 868 in 2014 to 2018 and 1,648 in 2019 to 2023, a rise of 90%. Filing habits changed over these years, so part of any rise reflects what gets reported.
reports a year
- 214'14
- 143'15
- 141'16
- 150'17
- 220'18
- 278'19
- 383'20
- 387'21
- 256'22
- 344'23
The 15 largest customer counts on file
| Began | State(s) | Event type in the DOE file | Customers | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Jun 2018 | WA | Severe Weather | 4,200,000 | — |
| 27 Apr 2014 | Alberta, Canada | Electrical System Separation (Islanding) | 4,000,000 | — |
| 9 Sep 2017 | FL | Severe Weather | 3,500,000 | — |
| 10 Feb 2021 | TX | Severe Weather | 2,000,000 | 13.0 days |
| 21 Sep 2016 | PR | System Operations | 1,475,000 | 2.5 days |
| 13 Sep 2018 | NC, SC | Severe Weather | 1,457,583 | 6.9 days |
| 15 May 2014 | CA | Public Appeal to Reduce Electricity Usage - Wild Fires | 1,400,000 | — |
| 16 May 2014 | CA | Public Appeal to Reduce Electricity Usage - Wild Fires | 1,400,000 | 10.3 h |
| 18 Aug 2020 | NV | Severe Weather | 1,400,000 | 7.0 h |
| 19 Aug 2020 | NV | Severe Weather | 1,400,000 | 7.0 h |
| 6 Sep 2020 | NV | Severe Weather | 1,400,000 | 5.0 h |
| 15 Feb 2021 | TX | Severe Weather | 1,390,000 | 2.9 days |
| 10 Jul 2021 | NV | Transmission Interruption | 1,300,000 | 3.0 h |
| 11 Jul 2021 | NV | Transmission Interruption | 1,300,000 | 3.0 h |
| 9 Sep 2021 | NV | System Operations | 1,300,000 | 3.0 h |
Counts are as filed, and one event can appear more than once when several utilities filed. Not a list of the biggest blackouts ever; only filings in these files.
The ten busiest days
| Day | Reports | States named | Most common event type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Feb 2021 | 34 | 10 | Severe Weather |
| 16 Feb 2021 | 24 | 15 | Severe Weather |
| 4 Aug 2020 | 14 | 12 | Severe Weather |
| 27 Aug 2020 | 14 | 11 | Severe Weather |
| 2 Mar 2018 | 13 | 11 | Severe Weather |
| 28 Jul 2023 | 10 | 8 | Weather or natural disaster |
| 6 Jan 2014 | 9 | 6 | Voltage Reduction due to Severe Weather - Cold |
| 7 Jan 2014 | 9 | 5 | Public Appeal due to Severe Weather - Cold |
| 3 Mar 2023 | 9 | 11 | Severe Weather |
| 10 Aug 2020 | 8 | 5 | Severe Weather |
Browse by year
Browse by cause
Browse by state
43 states have their own page. A state needs at least nine reports that name it alone; New England states mostly appear in region-wide filings that name several states, so they stay in the table and the CSV.
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Sources
| Source | Period | As of | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DOE, Electric Disturbance Events (OE-417) annual summaries | 2014 to 2023 | Internet Archive copy of the DOE page, 9 Dec 2024 | Every count on this page |
| DOE, Form OE-417 instructions | edition with OMB expiration 05/31/21 | form text as filed | Filing criteria |
| U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates | population per state | as used on this site's state pages | Reports per million residents |
The DOE site does not answer from our servers, so the yearly Excel files were read from the Internet Archive copy of the DOE page, taken 9 Dec 2024; 2023 is the latest year in that copy. We keep the DOE wording of each event type and add one grouping column. Each CSV row carries the source link and the snapshot date.
Keep going
Questions
What are DOE OE-417 outage reports?
Utilities, balancing authorities and other grid entities must file Form OE-417 with the U.S. Department of Energy when an incident meets set criteria, such as loss of service to more than 50,000 customers for an hour or more. DOE publishes the filings as yearly summaries.
Is this a list of every power outage?
No. Only incidents above the filing thresholds appear, and the files also hold reports of vandalism, suspicious activity, voltage reductions and public appeals. Many everyday outages never reach DOE.
Which state has the most major outage reports?
Texas, with 355 reports in 2014 to 2023. Per million residents the highest is Vermont (85.2).
How are these reports different from SAIDI and SAIFI?
SAIDI and SAIFI average outage minutes and counts per customer for a whole utility over a year, with major events usually excluded. OE-417 lists individual large incidents, which is why the two can disagree.
Can I download the data?
Yes. The CSV has all 2,516 reports with date, area, event type, customers, duration and source link.