PowerOutageHistory
Reliability Grade
B
Better than average
2018-2025
California

San Francisco CountyPower Outage History

20182025 · California
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What this grade means

Better than average — fewer or shorter outages than most counties. This county's outage history is better than the national median: recorded outages are less frequent and/or shorter in duration than a typical US county experienced over the same 12-year period. It isn't in the top tier nationally, but its track record points to lower-than-average outage risk.

Takeaway
Lower-than-average outage risk
Reliability Rank
Fuller bar = more reliable
Nationwide73rd pct
In California#7 of 57
See full California rankings →
Total events
2,786
Recorded 2018–2025
Avg duration
3.0 hrs
Per outage event
Longest outage
83 hrs
Single worst event on record
Customers served
360,842
Utility customers in county

Outages by year

Outages by month (seasonality)

Worst outage events on record

DateDurationCustomers affectedCause
Dec 20, 202564 hrs131,898 (37%)Unnamed event
May 20, 202512 hrs123,469 (34%)Unnamed event
Mar 21, 202320 hrs38,880 (11%)Strong Wind
Sep 20, 20195 hrs26,468 (7%)Unnamed event
Feb 4, 202454 hrs25,833 (7%)Flood

Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?

Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for San Francisco County, California that day.

Over the 8 years from 2018 to 2025, San Francisco County recorded 2,786 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.0 hours per event.

The single worst outage on record in San Francisco County started December 20, 2025, lasting 64 hours and leaving up to 131,898 customers without power (37% of the county) at its peak.

December has historically been the worst month for outages in San Francisco County, with 295 events recorded during that month across the dataset.

Based on this history, San Francisco County earns a Reliability Grade of B, placing it in the 73rd percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).

Similar counties in California

Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to San Francisco County.

CountyGradeNational percentile
Imperial CountyB75th
Modoc CountyB75th
Fresno CountyB71st
Merced CountyB70th
Alameda CountyB68th

Most reliable counties nationally

The top 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.

CountyStateGradeNational percentile
Clay CountySouth DakotaA100th
Clearwater CountyMinnesotaA99th
Limestone CountyAlabamaA99th

Least reliable counties nationally

The bottom 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.

FAQ

How often does power go out in San Francisco County?

Between 2018 and 2025, San Francisco County recorded 2,786 outage events, averaging 3.0 hours each.

What is San Francisco County's reliability grade?

San Francisco County has a Reliability Grade of B, in the 73rd national percentile.

What was the worst power outage in San Francisco County?

The worst outage on record started December 20, 2025, lasting 64 hours and affecting up to 131,898 customers.

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Data: ORNL EAGLE-I Recorded Electricity Outages (2014–2025), CC BY 4.0. Storm names: NOAA Storm Events Database. Last data refresh: 2025. See methodology.