Electric Generators in Action

There are more and more vendors across the country dedicated to renting electric generators and mobile batteries on set. The benefits of this new clean technology are clear: no more toxic emissions, no fumes, no noise, no maintenance or fluids to check.

In 2024, Local 728 Gaffer Andy Villalobos used Moxion’s MP-75 on a Netflix show called With Love, Meghan. The entire show was powered by one mobile battery. It ran the set, lighting, power for catering and the food trucks, the mobile production office, and more. This is Andy’s second season using the Moxion, which is a mobile battery replacement to a traditional diesel generator. It can pull up to 300 amps for 30 hours at full power. The Netflix show only used 150 amps a day, so this was well within the needs of production. The vendor, King Kong Production Vehicles, also was able to monitor the MP-75’s use online (i.e. the SOC – state of charge) and then knew when it was time to come and swap it out. The average was every 3-5 days. In 2024, King Kong provided sustainable power to over 80 shows and events.

David Rovsek, President of King Kong, explains that moving away from diesel generators is great from a sustainability perspective, but there is a sociability factor to it as well. With the Moxion, as well as other kinds of electric generators and mobile batteries, you can stand right next to it and talk to a colleague on set. There is no exhaust entering your lungs, and no loud noise impacting hearing. It is safer and offers a more flexible power solution. Usually, with diesel generators you have to be 1,000 feet away from set, which is about 1-2 blocks away, because of the noise alone impacting sound on set. This might mean Locations has to get street permitting and hire security. You might have to cable through a building nearby, and now you are paying the homeowner a fee to do this as well as the time it takes to safely run the cable. The cost alone can add up to $4-5,000 in savings, especially when you compare fuel costs for diesel generators. “It can save you time and money due to cabling. It gives you more creative power options due to the power being more flexible because a mobile battery can be placed wherever you need them, close to set,” Rovsek says.

For those curious to learn more, there are upcoming demo days in California on March 26, April 30, May 28, and June 25. You can email david@setliferentals.com to reserve a spot. The events take place at 8924 Lankershim Blvd in Sun Valley.