An unusual power outage in Redondo Beach, California affected 6,100 customers for three hours in 2013. The cause? Wild parrots roosting on an overhead power line, consequentially knocking out service.
While outages aren’t typically sparked by such unusual circumstances, facility managers should be prepared for unplanned outages. According to a new report from Eaton, such outages were up 15% in 2013 and over half of those surveyed believe that downtime could have been prevented.
Eaton’s Blackout Tracker Annual Report contains data that is based on a full year of reported power outages across the U.S. and provides an overview of national power outage data as well as power outage data by state. For the fifth year running, California topped the list of states with the most power outages, followed by Texas and Michigan.
“The Blackout Tracker Annual Report illustrates the scope and severity of power outages across the country and the serious consequences that can arise for businesses when the lights go out,” said Mike DeCamp, senior marketing communications manager, Eaton Power Quality Division. “With electrical power outages, surges and spikes estimated to cost the U.S. economy $150 billion, it’s more important than ever for companies of all sizes to invest in reliable power backup solutions.”
Don’t let downtime affect your facility. Be prepared with emergency generator tips. For the full report, visit Eaton's Blackout Tracker.
