Power Outages in the United States

As our nation continues to develop and expand, so does our demand for electricity. In the United States, demand for power has increased steadily since records were first kept. As demand increases, so do the occurrences of power outages. Each year, businesses in the US lose approximately $150 billion due to power outages. Weather-related outages alone are responsible for $75 billion per year, sometimes higher for years with numerous severe storms. However, nearly half of electricity outage costs are attributed to other factors, with animal-related outages alone costing utility companies between $15 million and $18 million per year. Fortunately, Critter Guard’s Line Guard and Pole Guard products can help prevent these animal-related outages, designed as simple, but effective protective barriers for curious critters.

What are Common Causes of Power Outages?

Most of our power outage issues stem from the infrastructure of the power grid itself. The majority of the power grid in the US was built in the early- to mid-20th century. This ageing infrastructure is more susceptible to outages than nearly all other developed countries.

As you might expect, most power outages and disruptions (around 78%) result from severe weather or natural events, such as hurricanes, snow storms, and tornadoes. But what about the other 22%? Some of the causes for these outages are construction errors, grid overload, and damage to power lines (e.g. a car crashes into a utility pole).However, thousands of outages are caused by wildlife, such as birds flying into power transmitters, squirrels and other rodents chewing through electrical lines, and more. Wildlife disruptions are a major factor when it comes to global power outages.

How Much Power is Wildlife Costing Us?

Residents of the United States can expect to lose 10% of their power every year. This may not sound like a lot, but those outages cost many residents discomfort from malfunctioning air conditioners, money from wasted food caused by failing refrigerators, and even hospital bills due to power outage accidents. The US loses more power than almost any other developed country, and we pay for it.

What Can We Do?

The goal is to eventually revamp the entire power grid, which will surely cost billions. This process would take years, if not decades, to complete but eventually could reduce outage costs significantly.

Right now, however, we can work on reducing some of the more manageable causes for power outages. Install Critter Guard’s Line Guard and Pole Guard products to prevent squirrels and other critters from interrupting power in your area. Our products are quick to install, effective, and cost-friendly. This could greatly reduce the number of outages across the nation, saving billions of dollars each year. Contact us for more information about protecting your lines and equipment from critters today!

Last Updated on July 12, 2021