Across the U.S., 2025 has revealed a clearer picture of a grid under growing strain. Outages are lasting longer, winter demand is climbing faster than new resources can be added, and uncertainty around data‑center and industrial load growth is growing. For companies that rely on continuous, dependable power, these trends highlight a widening gap between what the grid can deliver and what modern operations require and why fast, flexible, on‑site generation is becoming essential.
Outages Are Lasting Longer, Nearly 13 Hours on Average
Power interruptions across the country continue to lengthen. According to data from J.D. Power, the average duration of the longest outage customers experience each year has now reached 12.8 hours in 2025, compared with 8.1 hours in 2022. (Source: reporting on J.D. Power)
The increase is driven by increasingly extreme weather events, storms, fires, and more frequent winter storms which are stretching utilities’ ability to restore service quickly.
Data Center Power and Industrial Load Growth: Significant, But Some Forecasts Are Inflated
A report from Grid Strategies shows that five‑year peak load growth projections have surged over the past three years, jumping from 24 GW to 166 GW. (Source: Grid Strategies)
However, the report also notes that the data‑center portion of those forecasts is likely overestimated by roughly 25 GW. due in part to assumptions of unrealistically high load factors.
Even accounting for that adjustment, the remaining projected load growth, roughly 140 GW over the next five years, remains historically large.
Winter 2025–2026: Peak Demand Is Rising Faster Than New Resources
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) forecasts that aggregate peak demand will climb by 20 GW to approximately 2.5% above last winter.
Resource additions have not kept pace, adding only about 9–10 GW of net new capacity over the past year. Nearly all NERC regions are reporting higher year‑on‑year demand, with some projecting growth close to 10%.
Why This Matters And Why On‑Site Generation Is More Critical Than Ever
At Life Cycle Power, we see these trends as more than statistics, they reflect tightening fault lines between demand, grid readiness, and reliability. The combination of longer outages, rising demand, and resource shortfalls makes a strong case for deploying fast, flexible, and dependable on‑site power generation.
Our mobile gas turbines can be deployed in days, providing firm, fast-start capacity that helps customers stay online regardless of grid stress. To learn more call us at 361-551-6023.
