Utilities Northwestern United States

Eight miles outside the town that calls itself "the buckle of the power belt," there's a scene to frighten any Californian looking north for rescue from blackouts this summer. On a bluff above the mighty Columbia River, one of the nation's biggest sources of electricity, utility workers are installing 26 trailer-size generators.

Eight miles outside the town that calls itself "the buckle of the power belt," there's a scene to frighten any Californian looking north for rescue from blackouts this summer. On a bluff above the mighty Columbia River, one of the nation's biggest sources of electricity, utility workers are installing 26 trailer-size generators.