The subject of our studies are intense geomagnetic storms (Dst < -100nT) observed during the first half of the Solar Cycle 24 . These type of geomagnetic storms appeared only a few times. They were primarily associated with southwardly directed heliospheric magnetic field Bz and preceded by halo or partial halo coronal mass ejecta. Using various methods, such as self-organizing maps, statistical and superposed epoch analysis, we show that during and right after intense geomagnetic storms there is a growth in the number of transmission line failures. We also look at the temporal changes in the number of failures during 2010-2014 and find that the growing linear tendency of the occurrence of electrical grid failures is possibly related to solar activity. Finally, we compare these results with the geoelectric field calculated for the region of Poland using one-dimensional layered conductivity Earth model.