The Most (and Least) Reliable Electric Utilities in America
Using EIA Form 861 data, we ranked 900+ utilities by their 2023 SAIDI scores. The gap between the best and worst is staggering.
The average American loses power for 150 to 300 minutes per year - but that average hides enormous variation. Some utilities deliver power with near-perfect consistency, while others leave customers in the dark for hours each year. Using EIA Form 861 reliability data, we identified which utilities lead and which lag.
Note: Rankings below include only utilities serving 10,000+ customers to ensure statistical significance. Smaller utilities are excluded as a single large outage can distort small-customer-count metrics.
10 Most Reliable Utilities (2023)
| # | Utility | State | SAIDI 2023 | SAIFI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City of Kirkwood - (MO) | MO | 1.6 | 0.072 |
| 2 | Shakopee Public Utilities Comm | MN | 4.9 | 0.102 |
| 3 | Town of Braintree - (MA) | MA | 5.8 | 0.100 |
| 4 | Alameda Municipal Power | CA | 6.7 | 0.031 |
| 5 | Village of Freeport - (NY) | NY | 7.3 | 0.090 |
| 6 | Watertown Municipal Utilities | SD | 7.4 | 0.100 |
| 7 | City of Austin - (MN) | MN | 9.6 | 0.170 |
| 8 | Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc | ID | 10.0 | 0.090 |
| 9 | City of Alexandria - (MN) | MN | 10.2 | 0.293 |
| 10 | City of Grand Island - (NE) | NE | 11.9 | 0.426 |
SAIDI in minutes per year. Source: EIA Form 861, 2023.
Compiled by PlainUtility from EIA Form 861 filings.
10 Least Reliable Utilities (2023)
| # | Utility | State | SAIDI 2023 | SAIFI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (FL) | FL | 10820 | 6.00 |
| 2 | Suwannee Valley Elec Coop Inc | FL | 6825 | 6.86 |
| 3 | Upshur Rural Elec Coop Corp | TX | 5663 | 6.13 |
| 4 | Eastern Maine Electric Coop | ME | 4752 | 11.37 |
| 5 | Navasota Valley Elec Coop, Inc | TX | 3969 | 4.92 |
| 6 | Austin Energy | TX | 3265 | 1.49 |
| 7 | Magnolia Electric Power Assn | MS | 2768 | N/A |
| 8 | South Central Indiana REMC | IN | 2766 | 4.61 |
| 9 | City of Memphis - (TN) | TN | 2694 | 3.20 |
| 10 | Farmers Rural Electric Coop Corp - (KY) | KY | 2510 | 3.71 |
SAIDI in minutes per year. Source: EIA Form 861, 2023.
Compiled by PlainUtility from EIA Form 861 filings.
Why Do Some Utilities Perform So Much Better?
Several structural factors drive the reliability gap:
- Underground infrastructure: The most reliable utilities tend to have heavily undergrounded distribution systems. Underground lines fail far less than overhead lines exposed to wind, ice, and falling trees.
- Urban density: Dense urban utilities can afford more infrastructure investment per customer. They also benefit from shorter line distances.
- Storm exposure: Utilities in hurricane-prone Gulf and Atlantic coast states face inherent weather challenges. Even well-run utilities in these regions may have higher SAIDIs due to geography alone.
- Cooperative structure: Rural electric cooperatives, which serve lower-density areas with longer line miles per customer, tend to have higher outage metrics. This is structural, not necessarily indicative of poor management.
- Capital investment: Utilities that have invested in smart grid technology, automated fault isolation, and vegetation management programs consistently show better reliability over time.
Trends to Watch
Across the 2020-2023 period covered by PlainUtility's data, several patterns emerge:
- States hit by major hurricane seasons (Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina) show reliability spikes in storm years followed by gradual improvement
- Utilities investing in grid hardening programs are showing measurable SAIDI improvement over 3-4 year periods
- The introduction of distributed energy resources (solar, batteries) has not yet shown a clear correlation with improved grid reliability at the utility level
What This Means for You
If you're choosing between neighborhoods or considering relocating, checking the local utility's reliability record is worth 5 minutes of research. A utility with SAIDI above 400 minutes means you can expect 6+ hours of outages per year on average, which adds up to meaningful inconvenience, food spoilage, and potential equipment damage over time.
Regional Reliability Patterns
Northeast vs. Southeast Reliability
Northeast utilities face harsher winters but maintain underground infrastructure in dense cities, yielding moderate SAIDI scores. Southeast utilities contend with hurricane seasons that can spike annual outage minutes dramatically. Florida utilities average 145 SAIDI minutes with MED but only 78 without, showing how much major events drive their numbers. Compare specific utilities on our SAIDI/SAIFI guide.
Midwest Storm Vulnerability
Midwest utilities face ice storms and derechos that cause widespread damage. Michigan and Ohio utilities consistently rank among the highest SAIDI scores outside of hurricane zones. The combination of aging overhead lines and severe weather creates reliability challenges. See our rural vs. urban analysis for infrastructure details.
Western Drought and Wildfire Impact
California utilities implemented Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) starting in 2019, intentionally cutting power during high-fire-risk conditions. These planned outages add significantly to SAIDI scores but represent a deliberate trade-off between reliability and safety. A utility with 200+ SAIDI minutes may be implementing responsible wildfire mitigation. Our weather impact guide explains this in detail.
Top vs. Bottom Performers
The gap between the most and least reliable utilities is enormous. Top-performing municipal utilities like those in Nashville and Jacksonville achieve SAIDI under 50 minutes, while the bottom quartile exceeds 300 minutes, a 6x difference. Understanding whether your utility is in the top or bottom quartile matters for decisions about backup generators and home insurance riders. Use our relocation reliability checklist to evaluate your area.
