This article introduces the concept of ‘seismic power’, defined as the slope of the seismic energy accumulation curve over time of the intense part of an earthquake. This concept serves as an important measure to characterize the damage potential of an earthquake. To evaluate this potential, the energy balance associated with the response of a single-degree-of-freedom system is employed as modelling framework. This approach enables the determination of the evolution of the input and hysteretic energies during the duration of the intense phase of an earthquake, facilitating the identification of the intervals at which these energies reach their maximum, corresponding to 5% and 95% of the accumulated energies. This information is then used in the calculation of the ‘seismic power’ associated to the induced seismic damage of a particular structure. The findings of this study are expected to contribute significantly to the characterization of seismic induced damage required by the determination of the resilience of structures affected by earthquakes, while at the same time seeking a better understanding of the factors that influence structural damage under such events.