Knoxville Utilities Board, TN
How often Knoxville Utilities Board goes out
Tennessee's grid here runs a bit rougher than most: 1.3 outages from Knoxville Utilities Board in the most recent year, 4.6 hours total. That is 19% more outage time than the Tennessee state average of 3.8 hours a year.
Outage length, and what it means for a generator
Outages here average 3.6 hours before power returns. At that length, continuous fuel supply matters more than stored capacity, which favors a standby generator over anything battery-based. Why outage length, not count, picks the backup: how often vs how long.
The generator question for Knoxville Utilities Board
Serving 225,030 customers here, Given how often Knoxville Utilities Board goes out, you should consider a backup generator rather than treat it as optional.
Where this number comes from
These figures come from EIA Form 861, the reliability report a municipally-owned utility like Knoxville Utilities Board files with federal regulators every year - serving 225,030 customers hereaveraged across the whole territory, not any one address or storm. Every other utility in Tennessee is covered too: see Tennessee's full record. One big storm can move a single year a lot; major event days explains how.