Updated July 10, 2026
A sourced reference for outage, solar, storage, and generator safety numbers in the United States.
Outage planning has moved from a niche prepper topic into a mainstream home question. Storms, longer restoration times, solar adoption, and battery storage growth all point to the same practical need: people want backup power that is easier to understand before the lights go out.
How often U.S. customers are losing power and what caused the latest jump.
EIA reported that U.S. electricity customers averaged 11 hours without power in 2024, the highest level in 10 years.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Annual 2024 analysis, published December 2025Major events such as Hurricanes Beryl, Helene, and Milton accounted for 80% of the hours without electricity in 2024.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Annual 2024 analysis, published December 2025Why storm and disaster data matters for backup power planning.
Climate Central found that 80% of all major U.S. outages reported from 2000 to 2023 were due to weather-related events.
Source: Climate Central analysis of DOE-reported outage data, published April 2024The U.S. experienced about twice as many weather-related outages from 2014 to 2023 as it did from 2000 to 2009.
Source: Climate Central analysis of DOE-reported outage data, published April 2024Severe weather caused 58% of weather-related outages from 2000 to 2023; winter weather caused 23%, and tropical cyclones caused 14%.
Source: Climate Central analysis of DOE-reported outage data, published April 2024NOAA counted 27 separate U.S. weather and climate disaster events in 2024 that each caused at least $1 billion in damage.
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, published January 2025NOAA estimated those 2024 billion-dollar events caused $182.7 billion in damage and were associated with at least 568 fatalities.
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, published January 2025How solar adoption is changing the power options available to homeowners.
SEIA reports 262 GWdc of installed solar capacity nationwide, enough to power 45 million homes.
Source: Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie industry data, accessed July 2026SEIA and Wood Mackenzie reported that photovoltaic solar accounted for 54% of all new U.S. electricity-generating capacity additions in 2025.
Source: SEIA/Wood Mackenzie Solar Market Insight 2025 Year in Review, published March 2026EIA expected small-scale solar capacity across residential, commercial, and industrial systems to grow from 44 GW in June 2023 to 55 GW by the end of 2024.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Short-Term Energy Outlook supplement, published September 2023Battery storage data that shows where backup and grid flexibility are heading.
ACP and Wood Mackenzie reported 12.3 GW and 37,143 MWh of U.S. energy storage deployments in 2024, up 33% and 34% from 2023.
Source: American Clean Power Association and Wood Mackenzie U.S. Energy Storage Monitor, published March 2025SEIA reports the U.S. has installed 175 GWh of energy storage, a 177% increase since the end of 2023.
Source: Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie industry data, accessed July 2026Portable generator safety data to keep backup power decisions grounded.
CPSC says nearly 100 U.S. consumers die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning associated with portable generators.
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, published January 2024CPSC advises operating portable generators outside only, at least 20 feet away from the house, with exhaust directed away from buildings.
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, published January 2024This page uses public figures from government agencies, industry bodies, and named market reports. Each stat includes its source and publication date or access date. Figures are kept in their original units unless a source already presents the number in a rounded public format.
Suggested citation: GJB Products, "Portable Power & Solar Backup Statistics," updated July 10, 2026. Available at https://gjbbuzz.com/portable-power-statistics.
https://gjbbuzz.com/portable-power-statisticsIf these stats are making the case for portable power, start with the job: outage backup, camping, solar charging, outdoor lighting, or security.