However, unlike skilled actors in stable fields, those in the emerging ones, could not build on established routines. Just like skilled actors in stable fields working on adaptation strategies to changing environments, the ones in emerging fields engaged in working out new search strategies, built coalitions, undertook collective action, and established affiliations with recognized authorities and elites. Pioneers of this development seized opportunities connected with broad institutional changes to discredit the status quo and work out legitimations for their new model of how to generate and distribute electricity. We analyze decentralized forms of electricity generation and distribution. We invested approximately 80 hours of work doing research for this project.The paper draws on recent developments in the field of electricity generation and distribution in Germany to outline some basic assumptions on how legitimation strategies are framed and differ between emerging and stable action fields. The purpose of this project was to prepare ourselves to survive without electricity for an extended time, maybe as much as a year. What criteria for a back-up generator was most important to us?.What could we buy that was both practical and affordable?.What did we want that was both practical and affordable?.What appliances did we need/want to be able to use? (Must have or mostly want?).Did we really need electricity if the grid went down for an extended period of time?.So my husband and I began asking ourselves questions, such as:

An attack on just one of our country's three electric power grids could cripple much of our infrastructure - and in the age of cyber warfare, a laptop has become the only necessary weapon. And law and order - nonexistent. It isn’t just a scenario. Food and medical supplies would quickly be used up. For anyone without access to a generator, it would mean no running water, no refrigeration or light.

Koppel says that tens of millions of people over several states would be affected. Koppel tells us that a cyber attack is not only possible, but very probable - as well as other possible long term disasters.

I read Ted Koppel's book: Lights Out: A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath. We have all heard and read a lot lately about our fragile grid system. So what will we do when we have a power outage now? What if we have a REAL grid down situation lasting weeks, or months, or a year or so? How will we light up the dark? How will we cook hot meals? How will we keep warm in the winter? I checked out modern gas stoves at an appliance store and, unfortunately, they need electricity to light the oven or the burners. My mother would just light the stove with a match and dinner began cooking. We appeared to be the only family in the neighborhood who had hot meals whenever the electricity went out. What I do remember vividly though was our gas stove/oven. I don't remember feeling scared or deprived as we didn't have many electrical appliances in those days - just the usual hand-held mixer, toaster, coffee maker, a radio. Sometimes they lasted only a few hours sometimes a day or so. When I was a child, I remember frequent blackouts.

Surviving the aftermath electricity