Rural red states lead in power grid reliability, report finds

By EPN Staff

South Dakota and other rural states have the highest power grid reliability, according to a new report by The Western Way, a nonprofit organization that promotes energy innovation. 

The study found Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming have energy grids that are two to seven times more reliable than the U.S. average based on an index of electrical system outages. Each of these states effectively combines conventional energy sources (coal, natural gas and nuclear) with renewable sources (wind, hydro, solar and geothermal). 

“When we looked at the data, some things became obvious: All of the Above really works best, but what the mix is depends on the region and should be settled at the state and local level and not in Washington D.C.,” Greg Brophy, former state legislator and Colorado director of The Western Way, told Energy Platform News. “Further, if you want to achieve energy dominance, maximizing wind, solar and batteries allows us to have even more natural gas for export, giving us a competitive advantage.” 

Why it matters

In the next five years, the nation will need to create 336 gigawatts (GW) of new power generation to assure reliable energy, a 2025 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Resource Adequacy Report found. Researchers warned that “[a]t present,104 GW of firm generation is slated to retire by 2030.  Without corresponding replacement, the risk of annual outages could increase from single digits today to more than 800 hours per year.” 

Currently, states vary in power reliability. The average U.S. electricity consumer experienced just over 10 hours of power outages in 2024, the year for which the most recent data are available, according to the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI). That’s uninterrupted power about 99.88% of the time.  

The ten rural states identified by The Western Way study had significantly higher SAIDI statistics. They had uninterrupted power 99.95% to 99.99% of the time. Each one of them employs a variety of conventional and renewable sources. 

The bigger picture

The DOE recommends that states halt the premature closure of natural gas and coal while continuing to build new solar, wind and battery storage capacity. No source generates energy 100% of the time. Even the most effective and efficient plants must power down for refueling, maintenance and repairs. 

The capacity factor, a figure that represents a plant’s actual generation compared to maximum amount a plant could generate 24/7, differs for all energy sources. The capacity factors for nuclear power range between 90-95%, coal 90-95%, high-efficiency gas 50-60%, wind 30-35% and solar 20-25% according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. 

Having a variety of sources ensures that when one is offline, others are available to reliably produce electricity. 

Rural, Republican-leaning states implement an all-of-the-above strategy for powering their grids. 

• South Dakota: wind (58%), hydro (22%) natural gas (11%), coal (7%), other (2%).
• Arizona: natural gas (45%), nuclear (27%), solar (13%), coal (8%), hydro (4%), other (2%).
• North Dakota: coal (54%), wind (35%), natural gas (6%), and hydro (5%). 
• Utah: coal (44%), natural gas (32%), solar (17%), wind (2%), hydro (2%), and geothermal (1%). 
• Wyoming: coal (60%), wind (22%), natural gas (13%), hydro (2%), and solar (1%). 
• Nevada: natural gas (55%), solar (27%), geothermal (8%), coal (5%), hydro (4%), and wind (1%).
• Iowa: wind (62%), coal (20%), natural gas (14%), solar (2%), and hydro (1%).
• Missouri: coal (57%), nuclear (16%), natural gas (13%), wind (10%), hydro (2%), and solar (1%).
• Idaho: hydro (44%), natural gas (30%), wind (15%), and solar (6%).
• Wisconsin: natural gas (39%), coal (31%), nuclear (15%), solar (5%), hydro (3%), and wind (3%).