Cooperative Alabama

Central Alabama Electric Coop

568min
SAIDI 2023
46,733
Customers

What This Utility Data Tells You

Central Alabama Electric Coop is a member-owned electric cooperative operating in Alabama under EIA identifier 3222. It reports service to approximately 46,733 customer accounts and generated about $0.11 billion in annual electric revenue, with a service footprint spanning 48 ZIP codes. As a cooperative, its governance is accountable to its ratepayer-members rather than shareholders, which often shapes rate-setting and reinvestment priorities.

In 2023, the average Central Alabama Electric Coop customer experienced 568.5 minutes of power interruptions — a metric called SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index). That is substantially above the 120–180 minute national benchmark, indicating either storm-prone geography, aging infrastructure, or extended restoration windows. Excluding major event days (hurricanes, ice storms), SAIDI drops to 283.9 minutes — the gap between that figure and the headline 568.5 reveals how much weather, not day-to-day infrastructure, drove outages.

The EIA dataset includes 4 years of continuous reporting (2020–2023) for Central Alabama Electric Coop, which lets you see whether reliability is trending up or down rather than judging from a single snapshot. SAIDI has improved from 4386.8 to 568.5 minutes over that window — a meaningful direction for prospective customers and regulators watching capital investment outcomes. All figures on this page come directly from EIA Form 861, the federal annual electric power industry survey, with service territory ZIPs sourced from OpenEI — you can cross-reference them with your own utility bill or use them when comparing providers before relocating.

SAIDI

568 min per year

Average outage minutes (2023)

SAIFI

N/A interruptions/yr

Outage frequency (2023)

Customers

46,733

Served in Alabama

SAIDI vs. National Average (180 min) 100.0%

568 minutes per customer per year

Central Alabama Electric Coop SAIDI

Minutes without power per year (2023)

568 SAIDI568 SAIDINat. avg 120120SAIDI568SAIDI

Below Average

Reliability Trend (2020–2023)

Year SAIDI (min) SAIDI nMED SAIFI Customers
2020 4386.8 202.6 43,552
2021 404.6 193.3 44,307
2022 202.8 180.1 44,367
2023 568.5 283.9 45,550

SAIDI nMED = SAIDI without major event days. Source: EIA Form 861.

Service Area

Central Alabama Electric Coop serves 48 ZIP codes in Alabama.

350103504035045350463507235085350893511535136351433515035151351713518336003360063600836020360223602436025360263604036043360513605436066360673607536078360803609136092360933610836110361173670136703367493675036752367563675836785367903679236793

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is Central Alabama Electric Coop?

Central Alabama Electric Coop had a SAIDI of 568.5 minutes in 2023, meaning the average customer experienced about 568 minutes of outages that year. This is above the national average, indicating below-average reliability.

What type of utility is Central Alabama Electric Coop?

Central Alabama Electric Coop is classified as a Cooperative serving Alabama. Electric cooperatives are member-owned nonprofit utilities, typically serving rural areas.

What does SAIDI mean for Central Alabama Electric Coop?

SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) measures the average total minutes per year that a customer of Central Alabama Electric Coop experiences power outages. A lower SAIDI indicates better reliability. The national average is roughly 120-180 minutes per year, so comparing Central Alabama Electric Coop's SAIDI to that benchmark shows whether this utility is above or below average.

How many customers does Central Alabama Electric Coop serve?

Central Alabama Electric Coop serves approximately 46,733 customers in Alabama. Customer count can affect reliability metrics because larger utilities may face different infrastructure challenges compared to smaller ones.

How has Central Alabama Electric Coop's reliability changed over time?

Central Alabama Electric Coop has 4 years of reliability data (2020-2023). SAIDI has remained relatively stable over this period. Review the trend table above for year-by-year detail.

What is SAIDI without major event days?

SAIDI "without major event days" (SAIDI nMED) excludes outages caused by hurricanes, ice storms, and other catastrophic weather events. It better reflects day-to-day infrastructure reliability rather than vulnerability to extreme weather. Both standard SAIDI and SAIDI nMED are shown in the reliability trend table above.

Utility Profile

Type
Cooperative
State
Alabama
Customers
46,733
Annual Revenue
$0.11B
EIA ID
3222
Data Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Form 861 annual electric power industry survey. ZIP service territory from OpenEI.

Related

Data sourced from official EIA reliability statistics and OpenEI utility rate database. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainUtility Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Form 861. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.