Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric, MN
Power reliability at Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric
Power from Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric went out 0.7 times last year across its Minnesota territory, 1.5 hours in total - a little steadier than most of the country. That is 51% less outage time than the Minnesota state average of 3 hours a year.
Outage length, and what it means for a generator
A typical outage here runs about 2 hours - long enough that a battery alone usually will not see you through, but short enough that a fuel-powered portable generator is a reasonable match. Why outage length, not count, picks the backup: how often vs how long.
Do Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric customers need a generator
Serving 12,052 customers here, Nothing here says you should buy a generator today - Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric'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 Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric files with federal regulators every year - serving 12,052 customers hereaveraged across the whole territory, not any one address or storm. Every other utility in Minnesota is covered too: see Minnesota's full record. Storm days are counted in - here is why.