It is actually very easy to convert most generators to propane. It is easier on the generator than using gasoline. Depending on the amount of road tax you pay on gasoline and the amount you pay for propane it will probably save you money as well. All you need to power your whole house if you are not using electric heat is about a 10hp generator that puts out 240 volts so that you can hook it down stream from your main. Generators like this are available for less than $500 new every day of the week. Harbor Freight has 6.5hp model that puts out 240 volts for $299. That would cover our load about 90% of the time since we have a gas water heater.
I prefer the Honda Clone engines because they are quieter and more fuel efficient, but the old Briggs keeps going and going. There are several legit ways to do it and it will make your life much easier when you lose power. After a couple minutes we are right back to normal.
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District is one of the largest producers of hydroelectricity in the state. In 2015, a dry year, it pegged its costs for hydro at 3.2 cents a kilowatt hour, compared to 6.1 cents a kilowatt hour for natural gas.
It’s not unusual to see hydro projects across the country coming in at 2 cents a kilowatt hour.
When it comes to the average retail price of electricity, California finishes sixth-highest in the country and fourth-highest for states in the continental U.S., at 15.42 cents a kilowatt hour.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hydropower-rain-20170307-story.html