San Luis Obispo CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Average — typical outage frequency and duration nationally. This county sits in the middle of the national distribution — its outage frequency and duration over the past 12 years are close to the nationwide median, neither notably better nor worse than most other US counties. A typical amount of backup-power preparedness is reasonable here.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 4, 2024 | 57 hrs | 31,018 (25%) | Flash Flood |
| Dec 11, 2022 | 43 hrs | 29,494 (23%) | High Wind |
| Jul 17, 2024 | 2 hrs | 28,154 (22%) | Unnamed event |
| Jan 9, 2023 | 6 hrs | 21,675 (17%) | High Wind |
| Nov 12, 2019 | <1 hr | 19,404 (15%) | Unnamed event |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for San Luis Obispo County, California that day.
Over the 8 years from 2018 to 2025, San Luis Obispo County recorded 1,830 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.0 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in San Luis Obispo County started February 4, 2024 (Flash Flood), lasting 57 hours and leaving up to 31,018 customers without power (25% of the county) at its peak.
August has historically been the worst month for outages in San Luis Obispo County, with 210 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, San Luis Obispo County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 48th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in California
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to San Luis Obispo County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara County | C | 48th |
| Riverside County | C | 45th |
| Solano County | C | 44th |
| Los Angeles County | C | 42nd |
| San Bernardino County | C | 41st |
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 San Luis Obispo County?
Between 2018 and 2025, San Luis Obispo County recorded 1,830 outage events, averaging 3.0 hours each.
What is San Luis Obispo County's reliability grade?
San Luis Obispo County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 48th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in San Luis Obispo County?
The worst outage on record started February 4, 2024 (Flash Flood), lasting 57 hours and affecting up to 31,018 customers.