Both provide power during an outage, so your decision may come down to price and convenienceA portable generator (left) is ...

A major benefit of a portable power station is the ability to replenish the battery through solar charging. This allows you ...

Larger gas generators can be installed permanently for whole-home backup power. Not all generators are gas-powered — some use natural gas, diesel or solar power to provide energy in an emergency.

File photo: Bob Simon checks the inside of his whole house generator in New Orleans ... but you're going to have a gas generator," Commission Chairman Mike Francis said in a recent interview.

Backup power options can keep the lights on during blackouts, which could become more common as aging power grids struggle ...

while natural gas models can run indefinitely. They tend to be very quiet, and you don’t need to fuss with weather covers or canopies. Cons: Whole-house generators are pricier to buy.

Portable models also tend to be noisier and produce less power than whole-house models ... Of the 35 conventional generators in our ratings, 11 can work on both gas and propane.