Power outages in Iowa
In 2025, the average Iowa customer had 2.5 hours (151.8 minutes) of outage time over the year. That is below the US median of 4.3 hours (258.7 minutes) across the 50 states compared.
Trend
Since 2020, yearly outage time has dropped from a peak of 29.3 hours in 2020 to a range of about 1.4 to 2.8 hours from 2021 to 2025. The 2025 figure is lower than 2024 (2.8 hours, 166.7 minutes).
Utilities in 2025
The lowest SAIDI in 2025 was Board of Water Electric & Communications at 19.1 minutes (0.3 hours). The highest was Midland Power Coop at 488.1 minutes (8.1 hours).
| Utility | Customers | Hours / yr | Interruptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midland Power Coop | 12,717 | 8.1 | 1.8 |
| MidAmerican Energy Co | 750,247 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| North West Rural Electric Coop | 10,461 | 3.1 | 1.1 |
| Maquoketa Valley Rrl Elec Coop | 17,412 | 2.3 | 1.0 |
| Corridor Energy Cooperative | 32,966 | 2.3 | 1.8 |
| Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop | 24,200 | 1.5 | 0.9 |
| Interstate Power and Light Co | 500,416 | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| Iowa Lakes Electric Coop | 13,283 | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| Cedar Falls Utilities | 19,816 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| City of Ames - (IA) | 27,665 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Board of Water Electric & Communications | 11,627 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
What this means for backup power
For everyday outages, enter 2.5 hours in the calculator, since that is the average length of one interruption. To ride out a year like 2020, size for 29.3 hours, which is all of that year's outage hours.
FAQ
How long do power outages last in Iowa?
One interruption lasts 2.5 hours on average. Iowa customers had about 1.03 interruptions per customer in 2025.
Is Iowa's power more or less reliable than the rest of the US?
In 2025, Iowa's SAIDI was 2.5 hours (151.8 minutes). The US median in the data is 4.3 hours (258.7 minutes), so Iowa was lower.
How much backup power time should I plan for?
For everyday outages, plan for about 2.5 hours. If you want cover for a year like 2020, when total outage time reached 29.3 hours, size for that longer total.
Utility pages
Source: U.S. EIA Form 861 Reliability file. Data snapshot 2026-11-05.