Generac Urges Homeowners to Make a Plan for Winter Power Outages
Generac Power Systems is encouraging homeowners across the United States to plan well in advance for winter weather-related power outages, as power outage rates continue to rise across the United States.
According to NOAA's 2024-2025 Winter Outlook, a slow-developing La Niña is expected to impact winter weather conditions across most of the United States. Much of the Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest is expected to receive above-average precipitation, while the Pacific Northwest through the Great Plains are expected to receive below-average temperatures this winter. Both factors can potentially contribute to power outage events, as high precipitation can damage an aging power infrastructure, and cold weather can create greater demand on the electrical grid.
"Americans experienced an all-time high of 1.2 billion hours without power in the first nine months of the year, and we only expect that to continue to rise through the winter," said Kyle Raabe, president of Consumer Power for Generac. "As low temperatures and harsh conditions strain the country's electrical grids, winter power outage preparation has become more important than ever."
Power outages can be especially dangerous during winter weather in most regions of the country for various reasons, so it’s critical for homeowners to have an emergency plan. Generac’s Cold Weather Preparedness Guide contains an abundance of facts, tips, and checklists to help homeowners understand the potential impacts of winter weather on the power grid and prepare for blackouts.
When planning for a winter power outage, homeowners should take the following steps:
· Identify your nearest warming centers, when they will open and, if applicable, which ones allow pets.
· If you use a fireplace or wood stove for heating, be sure to have your chimney or flue inspected annually ahead of cold weather.
· Build an emergency kit. Generac’s Cold Weather Preparedness Guide contains a checklist of essential components.
· Have relevant family and trusted contact information handy in a wallet or purse. Create a communication plan in case of an outage.
· Install carbon monoxide alarms on each level of your home and outside separate sleeping areas. Test alarms monthly and replace batteries as needed.
· Consider investing in a source of backup power, like a portable or home standby generator, to power critical loads during an outage.
To learn more about Generac's complete line of home backup power solutions, contact your local dealer or visit www.generac.com.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.