9.26.23 – Axios New Orleans
Electricity is something we often take for granted until a power outage, and in New Orleans, that’s a situation we find ourselves in more often than in other parts of the country.
Why it matters: Power outages are more than an inconvenience. They can mean exposure to dangers associated with extreme temperatures, lost access to medical equipment and financial burdens due to job shutdowns and spoiled food.
The big picture: The average U.S. electricity customer experienced 7.3 hours of power outages in 2021 — down from 8.2 hours in 2020, but more than double 2013’s rate, Axios’ Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report.
- Louisiana had the most hours without power in 2021 — 80.2 — after Hurricane Ida knocked out electricity for more than a million residents. It took about two weeks to get the majority of Entergy customers back online.
- That’s per the latest available data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, an agency within the Department of Energy.