Why the Microgrid Could Be the Answer to Our Energy Crisis

Why small-scale, local power -- the microgrid -- could be the answer to our energy crisis. And why the big utilities are fighting it with all they've got.
Enlarge In Massachusetts, Jonah Decola teaches locals to build home power systems, like Sue Butler's 5.5-Kilowatt setup. Photograph by Bob O'Connor
Companies like GE and IBM are talking about up to half of American homes generating their own electricity, renewably, within a decade.