EIA’s 2024 national snapshot
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that U.S. electricity customers experienced an average of 11 hours of interruptions in 2024, nearly twice the annual average of the prior decade. EIA attributed 80% of the 2024 hours without electricity to major events, including Hurricanes Beryl, Helene, and Milton. Interruptions attributed to major events averaged nearly nine hours in 2024, compared with nearly four hours per year on average from 2014 through 2023.
These are EIA’s reported U.S. averages for one year that included major weather events. They do not show that every customer lost power for 11 hours, nor do they establish a trend for every utility or address.
What SAIDI and SAIFI mean
- SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) measures the total duration of non-momentary interruptions experienced by an average customer over a year.
- SAIFI (System Average Interruption Frequency Index) measures the number of interruptions in a year.
These indices summarize utility-reported reliability information. Definitions, data coverage, and whether major events are included matter when comparing years or jurisdictions. Read EIA’s notes alongside the table rather than treating a single figure as a household prediction.
What national or state averages cannot tell you
An annual average cannot predict your next outage’s timing, duration, cause, or restoration sequence. It does not tell you whether a particular home needs a generator, what loads should be backed up, what a project will cost, or whether an installation would pay for itself. A state-level statistic can mask substantial variation among utilities and service areas.
We do not publish generator-ownership percentages, future payback claims, unsupported cause-of-outage shares, or a permanent “best/worst state” ranking. The EIA data cited here do not establish those claims.
Use local data and household needs for planning
- Ask your electric utility for outage history or reliability information for your service area where available.
- Consider household-specific needs such as a private well, sump pump, communications, heating/cooling, or equipment that requires a continuity plan.
- Decide which circuits need backup and which loads can be delayed or excluded.
- Discuss the site, electrical service, fuel supply, safe transfer equipment, and installation permits with a qualified local professional.
Use the load-based sizing guide and cautious value framework as planning context, not automated recommendations.