Otero County Power Outage History
2015–2025 · New Mexico
Top 20% most reliable nationally — infrequent, short outages. How grades are calculated
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 14, 2020 | 3 hrs | 16,919 (43%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jan 9, 2024 | 2 hrs | 9,525 (24%) | Drought |
| Aug 20, 2020 | 1 hrs | 8,477 (22%) | Drought |
| Jun 30, 2019 | 2 hrs | 7,933 (20%) | Unnamed event |
| Jun 13, 2025 | 9 hrs | 6,623 (17%) | Drought |
Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Otero County recorded 533 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.1 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Otero County started July 14, 2020 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 3 hours and leaving up to 16,919 customers without power (43% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Otero County, with 94 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Otero County earns a Reliability Grade of A, placing it in the 80th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Sized for Otero County's outage profile
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Similar counties in New Mexico
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Otero County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| San Miguel County | B | 80th |
| Quay County | B | 79th |
| San Juan County | A | 83rd |
| Bernalillo County | A | 83rd |
| Lea County | A | 83rd |
FAQ
How often does power go out in Otero County?
Between 2015 and 2025, Otero County recorded 533 outage events, averaging 2.1 hours each.
What is Otero County's reliability grade?
Otero County has a Reliability Grade of A, in the 80th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Otero County?
The worst outage on record started July 14, 2020 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 3 hours and affecting up to 16,919 customers.