SALEM, Ore. -- New generators at Salem Hospital are helping to provide energy to the entire community under a partnership with Portland General Electric that puts backup generators to work during peak demand.

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The hospital is one of about 25 PGE customers that are participating in a standby generation program.

The Portland-based utility has created a network of generators that can act like a single, large power plant if needed.

The generators are owned by the customers such as Salem Hospital but can be used to meet peak power demands, such as heat waves or extreme cold weather. But during power outages, the generators will still provide backup electricity.

The generators in the PGE standby network can produce 44 megawatts of power, with a goal of 150 megawatts, the same as a full-size power plant.