Latest Power Outage Statistics and Causes Tracker

As the world’s technological landscape continues to grow and the demand for electricity increases, so too do the occurrences of power outages. Check out Critter Guard’s curated list where we track power outages statistics and data below or check out our power outages infographic.

Power Outages’ Impact on Homeowners and Businesses Statistics

  • Collectively, utility customers experienced 1.33 billion outage hours in 2020. (SP Global)
  • The decade from 2011-2021 experienced 64% more major power outages than that from 2000-2010. (Climate Central)
  • The average American experienced just over eight hours of power outages in 2020. (EIA)
  • A 2018 survey found that one in four companies experience a power outage at least once a month. (Bloom Energy)

Animal-Related Power Outage Statistics

Power outages around the globe are caused by a multitude of factors such as severe weather, transmission overload, human error, and animal interference. While a lot of power outages result from severe weather, animal related power outages are common cause of a tremendous number of power outages each year both in the US and nationwide. In fact, animal interference is the second leading cause of power outages in the US. Check out these animal-related power outages statistics below:

  • Squirrels and other wildlife are the most common cause of outages at public power utilities. (American Public Power Association, April 2016)
  • About 13 million Americans lose power to wildlife annually. (The Nature Conservancy)
  • In 2019, squirrels caused more than 15,000 animal-related power outages. (Entergy)
  • On average, 48% of outages caused by squirrels and other wildlife occur during the months of May, June, and October. (Unitil)
  • In March 2022, a bird that flew into an electrical substation was blamed for taking out power for nearly 10,000 customers in New Orleans, LA. (NY Times)
  • In 2016, a weasel was the cause of a shutdown of Europe's Large Hadron Collider. (BBC)
  • In 2019, more than 2,000 animals caused more than 22,000 outages in Entergy Mississippi’s service area. (Entergy)
  • In September 2022, nearly 10,000 Minneapolis residents were left in the dark for just under an hour after a squirrel disrupted power transmission. (NY Post)
  • In Stillwater, OK, 40% of electric outages were caused by small animals in 2022. (Stillwater)
  • In 2019, birds caused about 1,200 outages for Entergy Mississippi customers. (Entergy)
  • In 2019, raccoons caused more than 600 outages for Entergy Mississippi customers. (Entergy)
  • In 2019, snakes disrupted power for 1,855 Entergy Mississippi customers. (Entergy)
  • On May 4, 2018, near Eugene, OR, a bird pooped on a piece of equipment near a substation and cut power, taking radio station KLCC off the air for about 10 minutes. (EATON)
  • Since 2010, Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc. has reported nearly 60 outages (including substation and downline outages) that were caused by snakes. (Horry Electric Coop)

Costs of Power Outages

Whatever the cause, unexpected power outages can lead to extra expenses for utilities, businesses, and homeowners alike. Check out these power outage costs statistics below:

  • Animal-related power outages cost utility companies between $15 million and $18 million per year. (Utility Products)
  • Animal-caused electric outages can cause direct and consequential damage ranging to more than $1M per occurrence. (Hubbell, Oct 2020)
  • The U.S. Department of Energy estimates power outages are costing American businesses around $150 billion per year. (US Department of Energy)
  • ITIC’s 2021 Hourly Cost of Downtime survey indicates a single hour of server downtime totals $300,000 or more for 91% percent of mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises. (IBM)

Power Outage Stats Infographic

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Contact Critter Guard Today to Help Prevent Animal Caused Power Outages

At Critter Guard, we offer humane wildlife control solutions to help lessen the occurrence and impact of animal-related power outages for utilities, businesses, and homeowners. To learn more about our wildlife control products, check out our Solutions page or visit our online shop!

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Content Written by John Sims