Darkness visible.

The blackout that plunged one of every six Americans into darkness has prompted a national discussion of energy policy and preparedness. In Southern California, where earthquakes are an ongoing threat, concern over the flow of electricity and awareness of emergency procedures is hardly new. Still, the relative coolness seen by New Yorkers and others leads some to ask if Los Angeles would get through such an event as easily? So the Business Journal asks:

What is your backup plan if the power goes out?

Andrea Burnside Managing Director, Corporate Safety and Operations Training Metropolitan Transportation Authority

The rail systems will not operate, but the stations and all of MTA's essential buildings--corporate headquarters and major rail and bus facilities and systems--have emergency power systems for mission-critical operations. Buses would not run normal routes, but they would continue to run to the extent possible. In the rail stations, the emergency power systems would generate power for lighting to permit station evacuation.

Romel Montero Store Director Gelson's, Marina del Rey 

First, we close the store down, and then we have an emergency book with instructions as to what to do. We have to cover the dairy box and meat and dell cases with plastic covers as to not lose refrigeration. If it's going to be more than two hours we order dry ice to keep everything as cold as possible.

Kathy Shepard Vice President, Corporate Communications Hilton Hotels 

We have in place emergency procedures, whether for blackouts, fires or earthquakes. In case of a power outage, all of our hotels are required to keep a supply of flashlights, glow sticks, bottled water and AM-FM radios and all those things you might need available to distribute to every room. There are back up lights that come on in the stairwells, hallways, lobby areas and public areas. Our key locks are battery operated so our guests can always get in to their rooms.

Joe Bryant Manager, Engineering Department Westin Long Beach

Two years ago we put in a 1,500-kilowatt generator that supplies the entire hotel in case of emergencies. We don't have to worry about seeking out any other power. During the power outage on the East Coast, we actually ran a scheduled test and it did beautifully.

Frank Kelly Controller, Plastic Services and Products PMC Global Inc.

We're a plastics manufacturer and use extrusion production, which uses a lot electricity. We run around the clock, so our electricity costs are big. We don't have backup generators, so if the grid went down we'd be in trouble. We use so much juice we couldn't use a backup generator, if the power went down for more than a day or two, it would really hurt us.

Dan Gifford Senior Vice President, Asset Management Maguire Properties

The scale of our projects is quite large, each averaging 1.2 million square feet, so we have well thought-out emergency plans. If there were a massive power outage in the entire L.A. Basin, it would be out of our hands. Our emergency power systems could power 20 to 25 percent of each building. We could run at least one or two elevators in each building and have minimal lighting, enough for people to get in and out.

Eliot Sekuler Vice President, Public Relations Universal Studios Hollywood

Back up generators would provide power to handle lighting and safe exit from all rides and shows. Emergency power systems would be ample to handle audio communications for our guests.