Butte CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Bottom 20% least reliable nationally — frequent and/or long outages. This county ranks in the least reliable fifth of all US counties in our dataset: some combination of frequent outages, long restoration times, or customers affected puts it near the bottom nationally. Backup power is worth prioritizing here rather than treating it as optional.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2024 | 94 hrs | 43,533 (48%) | Heavy Snow |
| Sep 25, 2019 | 14 hrs | 34,117 (38%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Oct 9, 2019 | 4 hrs | 28,851 (32%) | Strong Wind |
| Oct 9, 2019 | 5 hrs | 28,241 (31%) | Strong Wind |
| Oct 9, 2019 | <1 hr | 27,283 (30%) | Strong Wind |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Butte County, California that day.
Over the 8 years from 2018 to 2025, Butte County recorded 1,339 distinct power outage events, averaging 5.1 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Butte County started February 5, 2024 (Heavy Snow), lasting 94 hours and leaving up to 43,533 customers without power (48% of the county) at its peak.
October has historically been the worst month for outages in Butte County, with 203 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Butte County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 1st percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in California
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Butte County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Tuolumne County | F | 1st |
| Amador County | F | 1st |
| Calaveras County | F | 1st |
| El Dorado County | F | 2nd |
| Mariposa County | F | 1st |
Most reliable counties nationally
The top 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.
| County | State | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | South Dakota | A | 100th |
| Clearwater County | Minnesota | A | 99th |
| Limestone County | Alabama | A | 99th |
Least reliable counties nationally
The bottom 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.
| County | State | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | West Virginia | F | 0th |
| Lincoln County | West Virginia | F | 0th |
| Cameron Parish | Louisiana | F | 0th |
FAQ
How often does power go out in Butte County?
Between 2018 and 2025, Butte County recorded 1,339 outage events, averaging 5.1 hours each.
What is Butte County's reliability grade?
Butte County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 1st national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Butte County?
The worst outage on record started February 5, 2024 (Heavy Snow), lasting 94 hours and affecting up to 43,533 customers.