Michigan Ranks #8 for Worst Electricity Reliability Nationwide

Article courtesy of The Local Electrician

Michigan customers faced an average of 2.71 hours without electricity in 2023, the eighth-highest total outage time in America.
The average outage in Michigan lasts for 2.94 hours, the second-longest in the country.
West Virginia ranks worst for power reliability, while Rhode Island ranks best.

A new study by emergency electricians at The Local Electrician has identified the states where residents face the most severe power outages.

The analysis examined 2023 data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA),

on the number of power outages and duration for the average customer in every state before calculating the total hours of interruptions annually. Each state was then ranked from the highest to the lowest, revealing significant variations across the country.

West Virginia topped the list with the average customer experiencing 6.43 hours without power in 2023, the highest total outage time in the nation. The typical power interruption in the Mountain State lasted 3.44 hours, also the longest duration nationwide.

Alaska ranked second overall with 5.43 hours of total outage time per customer. The Last Frontier had the most frequent power disruptions, with the average customer experiencing 2.37 outages during 2023.

Residents of Mississippi faced the third-highest total outage time at 4.21 hours per customer annually. Mississippi also had the second-highest frequency of outages, with customers experiencing an average of 2.14 interruptions throughout the year.

Maine ranked fourth with the average customer experiencing 4.12 hours of total outage time. The state had the third-highest frequency of power outages, with 1.98 interruptions per customer in 2023.

Arkansas and Vermont tied for fifth place, both with 3.69 hours of total outage time per customer. Arkansas had an average outage duration of 2.40 hours (third-longest nationally), while Vermont’s average outage lasted 2.33 hours (seventh-longest).

Louisiana ranked sixth, with the average customer experiencing 3.25 hours without electricity. The state experienced the sixth-highest frequency of outages, seeing 1.64 interruptions per customer during 2023.

Tennessee placed seventh overall with 3.10 hours of total outage time per customer. The Volunteer State had the fourth-highest frequency of power interruptions, with customers experiencing 1.90 outages on average.

Michigan,

ranked eighth with 2.71 hours of total outage time per customer despite having fewer outages than many states. What set Michigan apart was the 2.94-hour average duration of each outage, the second-longest in the country.

Virginia took the ninth spot with the average customer experiencing 2.65 hours without power. The typical outage in Virginia lasted 2.07 hours, with customers facing an average of 1.28 interruptions during the year.

North Carolina completed the top ten with 2.56 hours of total outage time per customer. Residents faced an average of 1.27 outages and an interruption duration of 2.01 hours.

States with the most power outages in 2023:

Rank	State	Total Hours Without Power per Customer	Number of Outages per Customer	Average Outage Duration per Customer (Hours)
1	West Virginia	6.43	1.87	3.44
2	Alaska	5.43	2.37	2.29
3	Mississippi	4.21	2.14	1.97
4	Maine	4.12	1.98	2.08
=5	Arkansas	3.69	1.54	2.40
=5	Vermont	3.69	1.58	2.33
6	Louisiana	3.25	1.64	1.98
7	Tennessee	3.10	1.90	1.63
8	Michigan	2.71	0.92	2.94
9	Virginia	2.65	1.28	2.07
10	North Carolina	2.56	1.27	2.01

On the other end of the scale, several states demonstrated notably reliable electrical service with minimal disruptions.

Rhode Island proved to be the most reliable state for electricity, with the average customer experiencing just 0.87 hours of total outage time in 2023. They faced only 0.67 interruptions, with a typical outage lasting 1.31 hours.

Illinois had the second-lowest total outage time at 0.94 hours per customer. The Prairie State recorded just 0.61 interruptions per customer, with an average outage duration of 1.55 hours.

Nebraska ranked third-most reliable with 0.95 hours of total outage time per customer. The state had the lowest frequency of outages nationwide, with customers experiencing just 0.48 interruptions on average, though when outages did occur, they lasted 1.97 hours.

Delaware placed fourth from the bottom with 1.01 hours of total outage time per customer. Residents in the First State experienced an average of 0.69 interruptions, with a typical outage lasting 1.46 hours.

South Dakota rounded out the five most reliable states with 1.05 hours of total outage time. While the state had a relatively high frequency of outages (0.89 interruptions per customer), it boasted the shortest average outage duration in the country at just 1.18 hours.

States with the most reliable power in 2023:

Rank	State	Total Hours Without Power	Number of Outages	Average Outage Duration (Hours)
1	Rhode Island	0.87	0.67	1.31
2	Illinois	0.94	0.61	1.55
3	Nebraska	0.95	0.48	1.97
4	Delaware	1.01	0.69	1.46
5	South Dakota	1.05	0.89	1.18

The study also revealed some unexpected patterns across regions. While northeastern states like Maine and Vermont ranked high for total outage time, neighboring states like Connecticut (1.17 hours) and Massachusetts (1.37 hours) showed significantly better reliability.

Similarly, the significant variation between neighboring southern states like Mississippi (4.21 hours) and Alabama (2.00 hours) suggests that local infrastructure and management practices may play a larger role than regional weather patterns.

Chris Madikian, Electrical Expert at The Local Electrician, commented on the study:

“These results show significant regional variations in power reliability across the United States. The data reveals that customers in states like West Virginia and Alaska face substantial challenges with both frequent and lengthy outages.

“States with more reliable electrical service typically benefit from modern infrastructure and proactive maintenance programs. The shorter outage durations in states like South Dakota demonstrate the effectiveness of rapid response systems when interruptions do occur.

“For residents in states with higher outage rates, having backup power solutions becomes especially important. Even simple preparations like keeping flashlights accessible, maintaining charged power banks for electronic devices, and knowing how to safely operate a generator can make a big difference during an unexpected power loss.”

Methodology:

2023 power outage data was gathered from the EIA. From this data, the total hours of power outage for the average customer (SAIDI) and the average number of power outages (SAIFI) were obtained per state. The average duration of a power outage was then calculated using these two metrics, upon which the final ranking is based.

Notes: The data is “Without Major Event Days,” meaning that major system failures and similar events are not included to ensure that the ranking is for a state’s normal operation.

Sources:

https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/

Complete power outage rankings for all states (2023):

Rank	State	Total Hours Without Power per Customer	Number of Outages per Customer	Average Outage Duration per Customer (Hours)
1	West Virginia	6.43	1.87	3.44
2	Alaska	5.43	2.37	2.29
3	Mississippi	4.21	2.14	1.97
4	Maine	4.12	1.98	2.08
5	Arkansas	3.69	1.54	2.40
6	Vermont	3.69	1.58	2.33
7	Louisiana	3.25	1.64	1.98
8	Tennessee	3.10	1.90	1.63
9	Michigan	2.71	0.92	2.94
10	Virginia	2.65	1.28	2.07
11	North Carolina	2.56	1.27	2.01
12	California	2.53	1.09	2.33
13	Hawaii	2.48	1.40	1.77
14	Kentucky	2.39	1.17	2.05
15	Oklahoma	2.32	1.14	2.03
16	Georgia	2.28	1.36	1.68
17	New Mexico	2.20	1.00	2.21
18	Washington	2.18	0.91	2.40
19	Ohio	2.12	0.92	2.31
20	South Carolina	2.10	1.29	1.63
21	Texas	2.08	1.18	1.77
22	New Hampshire	2.08	0.99	2.10
23	Alabama	2.00	0.98	2.05
24	Idaho	1.99	0.99	2.02
25	Pennsylvania	1.99	0.88	2.26
26	Montana	1.95	1.06	1.85
27	Indiana	1.84	0.95	1.94
28	Utah	1.83	0.88	2.08
29	Oregon	1.80	0.75	2.40
30	Missouri	1.78	0.88	2.03
31	Kansas	1.69	1.00	1.70
32	Wyoming	1.60	0.77	2.08
33	North Dakota	1.50	0.91	1.65
34	New Jersey	1.47	0.83	1.77
35	Colorado	1.47	0.86	1.70
36	Massachusetts	1.37	0.78	1.76
37	Nevada	1.35	0.75	1.82
38	Minnesota	1.22	0.78	1.56
39	Wisconsin	1.21	0.63	1.91
40	Iowa	1.17	0.71	1.66
41	Connecticut	1.17	0.66	1.79
42	New York	1.17	0.59	1.99
43	Arizona	1.15	0.82	1.41
44	Florida	1.15	0.82	1.40
45	Maryland	1.12	0.70	1.59
46	South Dakota	1.05	0.89	1.18
47	Delaware	1.01	0.69	1.46
48	Nebraska	0.95	0.48	1.97
49	Illinois	0.94	0.61	1.55
50	Rhode Island	0.87	0.67	1.31