Blackout Map: Which States Lost the Most Power in 2024?

Blackout Map: Which States Lost the Most Power in 2024?

As America’s aging power grid continues to deteriorate, the risk of disruptions and blackouts is rising. But are these problems spread evenly across the country?

In partnership with Tema ETFs as part of VOLTage Week, this visualization illustrates the average hours that customers in each state went without power in 2024. The data reveals stark geographic disparities—while also underscoring a worsening national challenge.

The U.S. Power Grid

The U.S. power grid consists of a vast network of transmission and distribution lines that link electricity providers directly to consumers. In the continental U.S., this grid operates through three main systems: the Eastern Interconnect, the Western Interconnect, and the Texas Interconnect.

Engineers built much of the system in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, it urgently needs upgrades. Although the government has made improvements, the aging infrastructure struggles to keep pace with rising electricity demand. According to energy.gov, 70% of transmission lines are more than 25 years old. As a result, they are nearing the end of their typical lifecycle.

The ASCE’s 2025 infrastructure report card warns that the U.S. must increase distribution transformer capacity by 160%–250% by 2050 to meet projected needs. Yet supply chain bottlenecks continue to hinder the country’s ability to add transformers to the grid.

Power Disruptions by State

Deteriorating infrastructure has made power disruptions and outages increasingly common. From 2023 to 2024, the average U.S. electricity customer experienced more downtime, with outage hours rising from 7.7 to 10.6. This is a 38% jump in just one year.

Additionally, outages grew worse in 30 states during 2024. South Carolina (57.8 hours), Maine (51.7 hours), and Florida (29.4 hours) recorded the highest average hours per customer, as natural disasters battered their electricity systems.

By contrast, the District of Columbia (1.6 hours), Massachusetts (1.7 hours), and Arizona (1.8 hours) reported some of the lowest outage times. These disparities highlight how unevenly the nation’s power grid problem affects different regions. 

Powering the Nation

America’s aging power grid and the rise in disruptions highlight an urgent need for large-scale investment and modernization. This is creating a compelling opportunity to invest in U.S. electricity companies positioned to drive the transition.

The Tema Electrification ETF (VOLT) invests in the companies powering the future —from energy generation to grid modernization and power management technologies. Electrify your portfolio.

Learn more about VOLT.

Source: Construction Physics (2024) 

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