The lights came back in thirty seconds. The rest of the house did not.

The Department of Energy issued an emergency order for the mid-Atlantic grid on 12 October 2026, during a mild week with no storm. This guide asks what a home's gates, cameras, alarm signal and internet do when the power fails, which of them a standby generator cannot keep working, and how a three-part test finds the gaps first. Built from federal orders, FCC and CPSC records and manufacturer documentation. For homeowners, households and family offices.