Power outages in Delaware
In 2025, the average Delaware customer had 1.6 hours (98.8 minutes, or 1 hour 39 minutes) without power over the year. The US median across 50 states is 258.7 minutes (4.3 hours), so Delaware is about 2.7 hours below it.
Trend
Yearly outage time fell from 4.5 hours in 2020, the worst year at 271.9 minutes, to 1.1 hours in 2021. It then rose to 1.9 hours in 2024 and eased to 1.6 hours in 2025.
Utilities in 2025
In 2025, City of Newark had the lowest SAIDI at 35.2 minutes (0.6 hours). Delaware Electric Cooperative had the highest at 111.5 minutes (1.9 hours).
| Utility | Customers | Hours / yr | Interruptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware Electric Cooperative | 120,447 | 1.9 | 1.5 |
| Delmarva Power | 340,680 | 1.7 | 0.8 |
| City of Newark - (DE) | 13,486 | 0.6 | 0.3 |
What this means for backup power
For everyday outages, enter 1.3 hours in the calculator, the average length of one interruption. To ride out a year like 2020, size for 4.5 hours, the total outage time that year.
FAQ
How long does a typical power outage last in Delaware?
One interruption lasts 1.3 hours on average. That is different from SAIDI, which adds up all outage time for a customer over a year.
How often does the power go out in Delaware?
In 2025 the average customer had 1.285 interruptions. This is the SAIFI figure from EIA-861.
How much backup power should I plan for?
For everyday outages, plan around 1.3 hours. If you want cover for a year like 2020, plan around 4.5 hours of total outage time. Enter either number in the calculator.
Utility pages
Source: U.S. EIA Form 861 Reliability file. Data snapshot 2026-11-05.