Creating Resilience: What to Expect with an Aging Power Grid

Many of our customers are surprised to learn how much we rely on an aging energy infrastructure. Here’s what homeowners should know about living on a grid that wasn’t designed for today’s demand patterns.

We’re experiencing unprecedented growth in energy demand driven by the increasing use of electrical technology. Data centers and AI computing add a constant baseline demand (consuming massive amounts of power); the growing use of electric vehicles drives charging spikes; and the increase in products like heat pumps that run harder in low temperatures creates higher demand patterns.

Outages can happen in any season

If you made it through a Western Washington winter without losing your power from fallen trees, you might think you’re in the clear, but seasonal grid strain isn’t just limited to the cold season. Summer heat waves can drastically increase air-conditioning use, straining substations and generation capacity — and even brief spikes can cause outages, especially on a grid with aging transformers.

Extreme weather doesn’t just cause outages — it reveals where the grid is weakest. Floods, for example (which we’re seeing more of in the Pacific Northwest), can damage substations never designed for water exposure.

Spring and Fall are also overlooked as risky seasons for power outages. These “shoulder seasons” are often when utilities schedule maintenance, temporarily reducing available capacity. All it takes is an unexpected heat wave or cold snap during these periods to catch the grid off guard, causing energy shortages and leaving residents without power.

How an Aging Power Grid Contributes to More Outages

Much of the U.S. electric grid was built decades ago — long before today’s energy demands, extreme weather patterns, or always-connected lifestyles. While it’s been maintained and upgraded piecemeal over time, many core components are simply old, overused, and increasingly fragile.

More specifically, a large portion of the grid was installed between the 1950s and 1980s. That means many transformers, substations, and transmission lines are now 40–70 years old — well beyond their original design life and past their prime.

As equipment ages:

• Insulation breaks down
• Mechanical parts wear out
• Failure rates increase
• Repairs become slower and more expensive

Older equipment is also less tolerant of heat, cold, and power surges, increasing the risk of failure under extreme conditions and compounding the problem.

Outdated Transformers Are a Major Weak Point

Transformers are one of the most common causes of neighborhood-level outages. They’re responsible for stepping voltage down to safe levels for homes—but many were sized for far less demand than today’s households require.

Modern homes place heavier loads on transformers due to:

• Air conditioning
• Heat pumps
• EV charging
• Larger appliances and electronics (yet another reason we suggest energy-efficient upgrades!)
• Work-from-home energy use

When transformers are pushed beyond their limits — especially during heat waves or cold snaps — they overheat and fail, cutting power to entire blocks.

An overstressed grid creates a need for alternative power

When outages can happen anytime, preparation matters. That’s where generators come in. Having an automatic home backup generator ensures you can keep essential systems running, such as:

• Heating and cooling equipment
• Refrigerators and freezers
• Sump pumps and well pumps
• Medical devices
• Home security
• Internet and communication tools

It’s also important to note that natural gas is another important energy alternative. Check out our blog on its future here in Washington.

Future-proof your home and your family

Until the grid is fully modernized and hardened against extreme demand and weather, outages will remain a part of everyday life. Having a backup generator not only gives you an advantage

— it provides an added layer of protection and confidence during periods of questionable reliability.