Being with all of the power outages due to the hurricane, has any thought been given to using diesel-electric locomotives as rolling electric generators? You can move them close to power outage sites and hook them into the electric grid.
Sounds good in theory but not in real life. Downed power lines and submerged trackage limit the usefulness of this concept.
Been done repeatedly over the years; in fact it was done with the sort of Steamotive plant that GE and B&W developed in the late '30s.
An example is the Canadian Alco that was run down a paved street on its own wheels a few years ago -- covered in several threads here.
The 'catch' is that power to a grid needs to be of precise and synchronized AC frequency, and even islanded power needs to be close to 60Hz. As I recall, many locomotives set up for 'main generator' HEP turn the prime mover at a governed speed that makes 60Hz off the traction alternator -- the U34CH ran at a constant 725rpm or so when delivering a lighting load, and that accounted both for its reduced nominal hp compared to a U36C as well as some of its delightful acceleration behavior.
I'd expect a modern AC unit to be easily capable of generating clean 60Hz AC from the inverters, as well as detect and synchronize phase with an existing source and then correct for power factor. I do not know if any units come from the factory with this programmed in their systems, but (deferring to actual electric-utility experts, of which our community has several) that shouldn't be that involved to arrange
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