Monterey CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Worse than average — more frequent or longer outages than most counties. This county's recorded history shows more frequent outages and/or longer restoration times than most US counties over the same 12-year period. If you live here, it's worth taking backup power more seriously than an average household would.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2023 | 1 hrs | 63,153 (32%) | Unnamed event |
| Aug 16, 2020 | 4 hrs | 59,117 (30%) | Lightning |
| Dec 14, 2024 | 76 hrs | 41,884 (21%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Mar 10, 2023 | 20 hrs | 39,448 (20%) | Strong Wind |
| Feb 4, 2024 | 166 hrs | 37,981 (19%) | Flood |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Monterey County, California that day.
Over the 8 years from 2018 to 2025, Monterey County recorded 2,188 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.6 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Monterey County started June 1, 2023, lasting 1 hours and leaving up to 63,153 customers without power (32% of the county) at its peak.
October has historically been the worst month for outages in Monterey County, with 226 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Monterey County earns a Reliability Grade of D, placing it in the 27th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in California
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Monterey County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Madera County | D | 27th |
| Colusa County | D | 28th |
| Placer County | D | 29th |
| Glenn County | D | 32nd |
| San Mateo County | D | 32nd |
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 Monterey County?
Between 2018 and 2025, Monterey County recorded 2,188 outage events, averaging 3.6 hours each.
What is Monterey County's reliability grade?
Monterey County has a Reliability Grade of D, in the 27th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Monterey County?
The worst outage on record started June 1, 2023, lasting 1 hours and affecting up to 63,153 customers.