These producers even get a guaranteed market - big utilities must buy it whether or not it's needed.

Other small generators are going so far as to ensure that in the case of bankruptcy by the big utilities they have some protection.

Executives at the nation's biggest utilities say the high-profile power failures are not representative of the industry.

But the big utilities prefer to look at the numbers on their balance sheet since the collapse of the economy late in 2001.

These are still among the most pleasing big utilities to drive, even if their design is getting old.

But they were bitterly opposed by several Midwestern state governments, many big utilities and industry.

It might seem unlikely that a big, vital utility could go belly up from competition.

New Jersey's biggest utility has established a full-time quality assurance department for its software.

That is now handled by the state's big utilities.

"The big utilities still have the state locked up."