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"Temporary power is a huge market," [Paul Huelskamp, co-founder and CEO of mobile battery systems startup Moxion Power, ] said, with various estimates pegging it at between $4 billion and $6 billion per year globally, and it's primed for rapid growth. And the diesel generators that make up the vast majority of that market ​"are terribly inefficient and terrible for the environment," emitting more than twice the carbon dioxide per unit of electricity produced than U.S. grid power on average, as well as significant amounts of particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, nitrous oxide and other harmful pollutants.

In contrast, Huelskamp said that battery-powered generators can provide quiet and emissions-free electricity much more efficiently and reliably, as long as they're designed to meet the remote-power market's needs. He also claims that despite their higher upfront cost, they are less expensive than diesel on a long-term basis because electricity is cheaper than diesel, maintenance costs are lower, and battery prices continue to fall each year.

Plus, he said of diesel generators, ​"Someday they'll be illegal, at least in California."

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