Powell CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
(How grades are calculated)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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25, 2024 | 66 hrs | 2,993 (65%) | Heat |
| Jun 6, 2020 | 5 hrs | 1,982 (43%) | Unnamed event |
| Jun 8, 2020 | 24 hrs | 1,916 (42%) | Heavy Snow |
| Jun 9, 2020 | 32 hrs | 1,579 (34%) | Heavy Snow |
| Jul 23, 2025 | 2 hrs | 1,450 (32%) | Unnamed event |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Powell County, Montana that day.
Over the 6 years from 2020 to 2025, Powell County recorded 190 distinct power outage events, averaging 5.0 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Powell County started July 25, 2024 (Heat), lasting 66 hours and leaving up to 2,993 customers without power (65% of the county) at its peak.
August has historically been the worst month for outages in Powell County, with 29 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Powell County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 55th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Montana
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Powell County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet Grass County | C | 54th |
| Golden Valley County | C | 58th |
| Judith Basin County | C | 49th |
| Valley County | C | 49th |
| Carbon County | B | 61st |
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 Powell County?
Between 2020 and 2025, Powell County recorded 190 outage events, averaging 5.0 hours each.
What is Powell County's reliability grade?
Powell County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 55th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Powell County?
The worst outage on record started July 25, 2024 (Heat), lasting 66 hours and affecting up to 2,993 customers.