The cause of Virginia's major power outages

Data: Climate Central via U.S. Department of Energy; Note: Major power outages affect at least 50,000 customers or interrupt service of 300 megawatts or more; Outage events can cross state lines; Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

Just over 94% of the 88 major power outages in Virginia over the past two decades were related to extreme weather , according to new analysis from nonprofit research and communications group Climate Central.

Why it matters: The electrical grid is under increasing strain as climate change raises the frequency and severity of extreme weather events , from heat waves to wildfires.

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• Outages and lengthy restore times can cost the economy billions of dollars and could lead to death.

Zoom in: Extreme weather accounted for about 80% of all major U.S. power outages from 2000 to 2023, Climate Central reports.

• Such outages are defined as affecting at least 50,000 homes or businesses, or cutting service of at least 300 megawatts.
• The majority of weather-related outages are due to severe weather like major thunderstorms, followed by winter weather, tropical storms and hurricanes.
• The report notes hurricanes can cause long-lasting outages, accounting for most occurrences through 2022.

The intrigue: Wildfires and heat waves , two of the hazards most clearly linked to human-caused climate change , are becoming more problematic, Climate Central found.

Between the lines: The states with the most reported weather-related large power outages during the 23-year time frame were Texas, Michigan, California, North Carolina and Ohio.

• Virginia saw the seventh highest number of weather-related outages in the nation during that period.

What's next: With the increasing recognition that America's power capacity has to grow to support generative AI and other high-tech applications, utilities are rethinking their architecture and upgrades schedule.

• In turn, this may lead to innovations that harden the grid against extreme weather events.