Phoenix, Arizona Power Outage Today

How reliable is power in Phoenix?

Arizona Public Service (APS)

Arizona Public Service (APS) is an investor-owned utility with 1,395,614 customers. In 2024 its customers averaged 0.93 interruptions and 87 minutes (87 minutes) without power, so the average outage lasted 94 minutes.

Little of that came from major storms (about 7%). Without major event days the average is still 81 minutes, so the figure mostly reflects everyday faults: failed equipment, tree limbs, animals and vehicles hitting poles.

Outages are infrequent, fewer than one per customer a year, and each was fixed in 94 minutes on average.

For comparison, Arizona as a whole averaged 88 minutes and the United States 614 minutes. That is close to the state average.

Among the 11 utilities in Arizona with at least 5,000 customers that report to the federal government, Arizona Public Service (APS) ranks 5th for the fewest outage minutes (1 is best). Nationally, 72% of the 926 utilities of that size reported more outage minutes in 2024.

Salt River Project (SRP)

Salt River Project (SRP) is a public power district utility with 1,161,925 customers. In 2024 its customers averaged 0.95 interruptions and 58 minutes (58 minutes) without power, so the average outage lasted 61 minutes.

Little of that came from major storms (about 9%). Without major event days the average is still 53 minutes, so the figure mostly reflects everyday faults: failed equipment, tree limbs, animals and vehicles hitting poles.

Outages are infrequent, fewer than one per customer a year, and each was fixed in 61 minutes on average.

For comparison, Arizona as a whole averaged 88 minutes and the United States 614 minutes. That puts Salt River Project (SRP) below the state average, which is better.

Among the 11 utilities in Arizona with at least 5,000 customers that report to the federal government, Salt River Project (SRP) ranks 2nd for the fewest outage minutes (1 is best). Nationally, 82% of the 926 utilities of that size reported more outage minutes in 2024.

These are the figures the utility itself reported to the US Energy Information Administration (Form EIA-861, 2024) and describe the whole service territory, not one street. Your own address can be better or worse.

Storm season and outages in Phoenix

NOAA’s Storm Events Database lists 1,448 storm reports for Maricopa County from 2015 through 2025, most often thunderstorm wind (731), flash flood (457), hail (107), and flood (56). The busiest full year was 2022 with 232 reports and the quietest was 2016 with 48, so the risk changes a lot from one year to the next.

Reports peak in August (532 since 2015), followed by July and September. October is outside those three months, so an outage now is less likely to be weather-related.

NOAA’s own narratives name power outages in 18 storm episodes in Maricopa County since 2015, most often in August. That count is a floor, since the database records outages only when a spotter or agency mentions them.

What the most common storm types in Phoenix do to the grid:

• Thunderstorm wind. Straight-line wind pushes trees and limbs into distribution lines. These outages are usually local, a street or a neighborhood at a time, and crews clear them circuit by circuit.
• Flash flood. Floodwater reaches ground-level transformers, meters and low-lying substations. Utilities may shut power off ahead of the water on purpose, and wading near flooded equipment can electrocute.
• Hail. Hail rarely cuts power by itself, but it often arrives with the wind and lightning that do, and it breaks solar panels, windshields and exposed utility equipment.

Storm reports that name Phoenix

Within Maricopa County, 719 NOAA storm reports since 2015 name Phoenix as their location or in their description: thunderstorm wind (397), flash flood (195), hail (43), and heavy rain (41). That is about 50% of the county’s reports, so Phoenix accounts for much of the county’s storm history. Reports naming Phoenix are most common in August. The busiest full year was 2018 with 214. These reports record 4 deaths and 6 injuries in total.

In NOAA’s own words, storms that left Phoenix without power:

• September 27, 2025 (thunderstorm wind): “Numerous downed power lines in a large area between North 24th to North 40th street and Osborn Road to Red Mountain Freeway in Phoenix.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
• September 27, 2025 (thunderstorm wind): “Downed power lines in the area of North 44th Street and Camelhead Road and Camelback Road to Campbell Avenue in Phoenix.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
• September 1, 2025 (thunderstorm wind): “Downed power lines in the area between Broadway and East Roeser Roads between 16th and 24th Streets in Phoenix.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database

Who a power outage hits hardest in Phoenix

73.6% of occupied homes in Phoenix are heated with electricity (US 41.3%). In a winter outage those homes lose heat the moment the power fails, and electric furnaces and heat pumps are too large to run from a portable generator. Warm layers, blankets and a plan for where to stay matter more here than in a gas-heated city.

Residents aged 65 or older are 12.2% of the population in Phoenix, below the US share of 17.2% and 11.7% report a disability (US 13.3%). These are the households most likely to depend on powered medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines and refrigerated medicine. If someone in your home does, ask Arizona Public Service (APS) whether it keeps a priority or medical-needs list, and register before the next storm rather than during it.

About the housing: 22.9% of the housing in Phoenix was built before 1970 (US 35.5%); 15.9% of homes are in buildings with 20 or more units (US 10.3%), where an outage also stops elevators and water pumps, which matters for upper floors and anyone who cannot use stairs.

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 (housing, heating fuel, age and disability tables).

Backup power and electricity use in Phoenix

The average Arizona Public Service (APS) home used about 1,034 kWh a month in 2024 (US average 892 kWh), an average draw of 1.4 kW around the clock, and paid about 16.5 cents per kWh (14.9 in the state, 15.8 nationally), roughly $170 a month.

Keeping only the essentials on (a refrigerator, router, a few lights and phone chargers, about 400 watts) through an outage that lasts the average 94 minutes takes less than 1 kWh. A portable power station or a power bank covers that; a generator is more than most households here need for a typical outage.

A generator must never run indoors, in a garage or near a window; generator and food-safety rules are in the power outage guide linked below.

If the power is out in Phoenix

About 1,680,992 people live in Phoenix, the largest of the 5 Arizona cities on this site. Report the outage to the utility so a ticket exists for your address, then check Arizona Public Service (APS)’s outage map for an estimate. If neighbors have power and you do not, report it again: the fault may be on the line to your house alone, which is a separate repair.

Phoenix power outage map

Arizona Public Service (APS)’s outage map has the official restoration estimate for your address; the count above comes from residents. Food and generator safety: power outage guide.

Phoenix power outage questions