Dive Brief:

• The number of weather-related power outages per year doubled between 2003 and 2012, causing 80% of all U.S. outages, according to a new report by Climate Central.
• Michigan suffered the most in that span, with 71 major power outages (those which affect 50,000 or more homes or businesses) affecting an average 800,000 customers in the state annually. Texas and Ohio followed with 57 and 54 major outages respectively. On average, 15 million homes or businesses lost power for at least an hour each year during that span due to the weather. 
• Storms or severe weather caused 59% of these outages; about 19% were due to cold weather or ice storms; 18% caused by hurricanes or tropical storms; 3% caused by tornadoes, and the remaining 2% were caused by a combination of extreme heat and wildfires. 

Dive Insight:

Recent estimates put the cost of weather-related outages at somewhere between $20-$55 billion each year. An increase in extreme weather, combined with an increase in electricity demand, has led to the rise in large-scale power outages.