Power outages in the United States grew more frequent in 2024, exceeding 2023 levels by over 50%, primarily from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. A 2025 Department of Energy report warns that blackout hours could rise 100-fold by 2030 amid an aging infrastructure and climate pressures. Rural areas and homeowners face higher risks than urban dwellers and renters.
The United States saw a marked uptick in power disruptions last year, with outage minutes per customer more than 50% higher than in 2023. This surge was largely attributed to severe weather, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which strained the nation's electricity infrastructure.
A 2025 Department of Energy report highlights the escalating challenge, projecting that blackout hours could increase 100-fold by 2030. Contributing factors include an aging power grid, where 70% of transmission lines exceed 25 years old and approach the end of their lifecycle. Electricity demand is rising rapidly due to AI data centers and new factories, while reliable power sources like coal, gas, and nuclear plants are closing faster than replacements emerge.
Climate change exacerbates the issue by intensifying hurricanes, wildfires, heat waves, and winter storms that damage lines and equipment. Reduced precipitation also hampers hydroelectric output and heightens fire risks, prompting utilities in vulnerable areas to enact public safety power shutoffs.
Disparities in outage frequency are evident: rural households reported outages 35.4% of the time compared to 22.8% in urban areas, while homeowners experienced them at 28.3% versus 19.9% for renters. In 2024, South Carolina led with 57.8 average hours without power per customer, followed by Maine at 51.7 hours and Florida at 29.4 hours. Conversely, the District of Columbia recorded just 1.6 hours, Massachusetts 1.7 hours, and Arizona 1.8 hours.
A 2024 U.S. Census Bureau survey found that 25.4% of households—about 33.8 million homes—faced at least one outage in the prior year, with 70% lasting six hours or longer. Additionally, 14.5 million households rely on electricity-dependent medical devices, and 31.6% of these experienced outages in 2023.
These trends underscore the growing vulnerability of the U.S. power system, urging enhanced preparedness as disruptions become more commonplace.