Benco Electric Cooperative, MN
Benco Electric Cooperative's outage record
Benco Electric Cooperative customers in Minnesota had 0.9 interruptions last year, 82 minutes total - a bit below the typical US utility's outage time. That is 55% less outage time than the Minnesota state average of 3 hours a year.
Outage length, and what it means for a generator
At an average of 88 minutes per outage, most interruptions here end before a fuel generator would even be worth starting up. The frequency-versus-duration guide covers why length decides the kind of backup.
Do Benco Electric Cooperative customers need a generator
Serving 19,954 customers here, Nothing here says you should buy a generator today - Benco Electric Cooperative's record is a little better than most of the country, though it is worth checking your own past outages before ruling one out.
The source behind this number
These figures come from EIA Form 861, the reliability report a member-owned cooperative like Benco Electric Cooperative files with federal regulators every year - serving 19,954 customers hereaveraged across the whole territory, not any one address or storm. Want the Minnesota average instead of just this one utility? Minnesota's statewide record is here. One big storm can move a single year a lot; major event days explains how.