The economy recovers half its losses after a nationwide blackout

A new study measured the economic impact of nationwide blackouts. It found that while economic activity drops by over a third on blackout day, half of that loss recovers quickly.

Governments and utilities have long struggled to put a precise number on the economic damage from large-scale power outages. This paper provides a concrete figure, showing that the immediate hit is substantial but not all of it is permanent. This means grid operators and energy planners can now make more informed decisions about how much to invest in resilience, knowing that some economic activity will simply shift rather than disappear.