Power outages in West Virginia
In 2025, the average West Virginia customer had 16.9 hours (1,013 minutes) without power over the year. The US median in the data is 4.3 hours (258.7 minutes), so West Virginia is about 3.9 times higher.
Trend
Yearly outage time rose from 10.1 hours in 2020 to 16.9 hours in 2025, with ups and downs in between. The worst year was 2024 at 19.4 hours.
Utilities in 2025
In 2025, The Potomac Edison Company had the lowest SAIDI at 7.3 hours (439.7 minutes). Monongahela Power Co had the highest at 20.8 hours (1,250.4 minutes).
| Utility | Customers | Hours / yr | Interruptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monongahela Power Co | 391,428 | 20.8 | 3.7 |
| Appalachian Power Co | 417,331 | 17.2 | 3.0 |
| Wheeling Power Co | 41,032 | 11.8 | 2.3 |
| The Potomac Edison Company | 155,497 | 7.3 | 2.0 |
What this means for backup power
For everyday outages, enter 5.5 hours in the calculator, the average length of one interruption. To ride out a year like 2024, size for 19.4 hours, which is all of that year's outage time.
FAQ
How long does a typical power outage last in West Virginia?
One interruption lasts 5.5 hours on average. In 2025, the average customer had about 3.1 interruptions.
What does the 16.9-hour figure mean?
It is SAIDI, the total outage time per customer across the whole year in 2025. It is not the length of a single outage. It adds up all of that year's interruptions.
What number should I enter in the backup power calculator?
Use 5.5 hours to plan for a typical single outage. If you want to cover a year as bad as 2024, use 19.4 hours, the total outage time for that year.
Utility pages
Source: U.S. EIA Form 861 Reliability file. Data snapshot 2026-11-05.