Power plant outages, both forced and planned, reduce supply and put upward pressure on electricity rates. Unexpected outages of large generators like nuclear or coal plants can sharply tighten supply, while scheduled maintenance outages can create temporary scarcity depending on timing and demand.
Power Plant Outages (Forced & Planned)
5 GW offline
Direction: Up
Maintenance outages reduce supply.
Past Year Trend for Power Plant Outages
NERC’s cold weather data collection shows that 99% of power plant capacity was operable during the winter of 2024-2025 and only about 3% was under corrective action plans, meaning forced outage rates remained low. Such low outage levels reduce supply disruptions and help limit electricity rate spikes.
Bar chart showing power plant capacity: 99% operable vs 3% under corrective action.