Cooperative South Carolina

Palmetto Electric Coop Inc

171min
SAIDI 2023
2.31
SAIFI 2023
78,584
Customers

What This Utility Data Tells You

Palmetto Electric Coop Inc is a member-owned electric cooperative operating in South Carolina under EIA identifier 14398. It reports service to approximately 78,584 customer accounts and generated about $0.18 billion in annual electric revenue, with a service footprint spanning 27 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 Palmetto Electric Coop Inc customer experienced 170.6 minutes of power interruptions — a metric called SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index). That sits within the 120–180 minute national benchmark range, indicating performance typical of U.S. distribution utilities. SAIFI — the average number of outage events per customer — was 2.31 for the same period, so customers statistically faced roughly 2 distinct interruptions that year. Excluding major event days (hurricanes, ice storms), SAIDI drops to 35.3 minutes — the gap between that figure and the headline 170.6 reveals how much weather, not day-to-day infrastructure, drove outages.

The EIA dataset includes 4 years of continuous reporting (2020–2023) for Palmetto Electric Coop Inc, which lets you see whether reliability is trending up or down rather than judging from a single snapshot. SAIDI has increased from 88.4 to 170.6 minutes, which may reflect either worsening weather exposure or delayed grid modernization. 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

171 min per year

Average outage minutes (2023)

SAIFI

2.31 interruptions/yr

Outage frequency (2023)

Customers

78,584

Served in South Carolina

SAIDI vs. National Average (180 min) 42.6%

171 minutes per customer per year

Palmetto Electric Coop Inc SAIDI

Minutes without power per year (2023)

171 SAIDI171 SAIDINat. avg 120120SAIDI171SAIDI

Average

Reliability Trend (2020–2023)

Year SAIDI (min) SAIDI nMED SAIFI Customers
2020 88.4 37.9 0.657 73,513
2021 91.4 32.9 1.038 75,187
2022 54.4 29.3 0.829 76,477
2023 170.6 35.3 2.313 77,623

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

Service Area

Palmetto Electric Coop Inc serves 27 ZIP codes in South Carolina.

290812947529827299062990929910299112991229913299152991629918299222992429925299262992729928299292993229933299342993629938299432994429945

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is Palmetto Electric Coop Inc?

Palmetto Electric Coop Inc had a SAIDI of 170.6 minutes in 2023, meaning the average customer experienced about 171 minutes of outages that year. This is near the national average.

What type of utility is Palmetto Electric Coop Inc?

Palmetto Electric Coop Inc is classified as a Cooperative serving South Carolina. Electric cooperatives are member-owned nonprofit utilities, typically serving rural areas.

What does SAIDI mean for Palmetto Electric Coop Inc?

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

How many customers does Palmetto Electric Coop Inc serve?

Palmetto Electric Coop Inc serves approximately 78,584 customers in South Carolina. Customer count can affect reliability metrics because larger utilities may face different infrastructure challenges compared to smaller ones.

How has Palmetto Electric Coop Inc's reliability changed over time?

Palmetto Electric Coop Inc 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
Customers
78,584
Annual Revenue
$0.18B
EIA ID
14398
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.