If you get a couple neighbors together, you could power your houses <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Being a ham operator I try to keep a good supply of batteries. A good set of batteries on a trickle charge with an inverter would provide the "emergency power" needed for communications and other things on an as needed basis. It definitely would not work for long term unless you really conserve or have really LARGE batteries. I plan on doing this because I just moved and am on a well now. The generator is in the plans for the future though.

As to fuel. I have a ham friend who is also a M.A.R.S. operator and he has his generator hooked up to his natural gas supply. Now this would only work if the supply line was not damaged, but he has told me that most generators can be converted for this with minimal cost. Most of the time it takes a call to the manufacture to get the instructions.