CFU Electric Reliability Exceeds Regional Benchmarks
CFU customers enjoy a highly reliable electric system. Power is available more often, outages are shorter and service is restored more quickly than average.
Each year, the American Public Power Association releases reliability numbers for each region in the country including the percentage of time power is available and the length of an average power outage. In 2023, CFU exceeded the benchmark in both.
In 2023, power was available to CFU customers 99.992% of the time with the average electric outage lasting 47 minutes. This is the amount of time from when the outage first occurs to when our line workers restore service.
By contrast, peer utilities in our region experienced an average outage of 76 minutes. The national average is 2.5 hours.
CFU's reliability metrics are not due to chance. The CFU Electric Utility works hard to provide customers with safe and reliable power.
This starts with reinvesting in local infrastructure. CFU is a public utility which means we do not maximize profits for shareholders. Revenues are reinvested to continue to provide safe and reliable service.
Last year the Electric Utility replaced more than 14,000 feet of power lines and 92 poles to increase the capacity of power coming into town and improve reliability. Crews also moved almost 6,000 feet of power lines underground to reduce exposure to weather and animals.
As a publicly owned utility, CFU staff live and work in the community. This means our local line crew is also able to respond quickly so if you do experience an outage, it will be resolved swiftly.
Top Causes of Outages in 2023
- 37% Animals
- 22% Trees
- 19% Equipment Issues
- 11% Other Damage to System (A car hitting a transformer, hitting a line while digging)
- 7% Underground Cable Issue
- 4% Lightning/Wind