This post summarizes new findings from a J.D. Power survey showing U.S. power outages are lasting longer as extreme weather grows more frequent and severe.
I’ll highlight the hard numbers, regional differences, customer reactions, and what utilities are doing well. I draw on 30 years of experience in grid reliability and customer communications to explain what these trends mean for resilience planning and household preparedness.
Rising outage durations: what the data shows
Power outages are getting longer. J.D. Power reports the average length of the longest outage per household rose from 8.1 hours in 2022 to 12.8 hours by mid‑2025.
This is not just a handful of extreme incidents skewing the average — it reflects a systemic shift driven largely by more frequent and severe weather events.
Longer restoration times increase risk to health, safety, and economic activity, particularly for vulnerable populations and businesses that rely on continuous power.
Where outages last the longest
The survey highlights regional variation: customers in the South experienced the longest disruptions, averaging 18.2 hours.
The West followed at 12.4 hours.
Overall, 45% of utility customers nationwide reported at least one outage in the first half of 2025.
Nearly half of those outages were caused by extreme weather such as hurricanes, snowstorms, or wildfires.
17% of affected customers said they had to evacuate due to the severity of an event.
Why “perfect power” and shorter blackout awareness are both rising
The share of customers enjoying uninterrupted “perfect power” is increasing even while major outages last longer.
This divergence is explained by two concurrent trends:
First, distributed grid investments and targeted hardening can reduce interruptions for some customers.
Second, an increase in smaller, shorter blackouts is making outages more visible to individuals who are now working remotely or who rely on always‑on internet services.
Remote work and the perception of reliability
J.D. Power’s Mark Spalinger observed that remote work has heightened sensitivity to even brief interruptions.
A ten‑minute knock on productivity can feel like a major event to a teleworker, and this heightened awareness drives demand for backup power and communication tools from utilities.
Customer responses and backup power interest
As outages change in character, customer responses are shifting quickly.
About two‑thirds of customers now express interest in backup power solutions like solar + battery systems or generators.
What utilities are doing right: communication and trust
Despite high outage exposure, the South leads the nation in customer satisfaction.
Analysts and my own experience point to robust communication strategies as a primary factor: proactive text alerts, real‑time outage maps, and clear restoration timelines build trust.
Utilities such as Southern Company exemplify this approach, using multi‑channel notifications and transparent status updates to reduce frustration.
These strategies improve perceived performance even when physical restoration takes time.
Trust is as important as speed in maintaining public confidence during crises.
Here is the source article for this story: Power outages getting longer as extreme weather takes larger toll, report says