Learn — GridWatch
A power outage is any loss of electricity to your home or business. Utilities each publish their own outage maps, but there is no free, unified feed that covers everyone — so GridWatch takes a different approach: the community reports outages directly.
- How the grid works and why the power goes outGeneration, transmission and distribution — the three stages electricity passes through, and why most outages are local distribution faults near you.
- Reading the outage numbersWhat “% customers out” means, why customers are not the same as people, and how to read an estimated restoration time without over-trusting it.
- Why the power goes outThe main causes — severe weather, extreme heat, equipment failure, accidents and animals — plus deliberate shutoffs and rolling blackouts.
- Staying safe and prepared during an outageHow restoration is prioritized, what to do before and during an outage, and the few hazards that cause most outage injuries.