Penobscot 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 2020 | 144 hrs | 65,190 (74%) | Winter Storm |
| Oct 30, 2017 | 127 hrs | 61,301 (70%) | Tropical Storm Philippe |
| Dec 18, 2023 | 153 hrs | 59,742 (68%) | Flood |
| Nov 2, 2014 | 51 hrs | 39,495 (45%) | Winter Storm |
| Nov 1, 2019 | 8 hrs | 37,487 (43%) | High Wind |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Penobscot County, Maine that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Penobscot County recorded 1,683 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.1 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Penobscot County started April 9, 2020 (Winter Storm), lasting 144 hours and leaving up to 65,190 customers without power (74% of the county) at its peak.
December has historically been the worst month for outages in Penobscot County, with 167 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Penobscot County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 3rd percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Maine
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Penobscot County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | F | 3rd |
| Somerset County | F | 3rd |
| Oxford County | F | 2nd |
| Sagadahoc County | F | 2nd |
| Waldo County | F | 2nd |
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 Penobscot County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Penobscot County recorded 1,683 outage events, averaging 3.1 hours each.
What is Penobscot County's reliability grade?
Penobscot County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 3rd national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Penobscot County?
The worst outage on record started April 9, 2020 (Winter Storm), lasting 144 hours and affecting up to 65,190 customers.