That was the thinking behind the Land art generator Initiative, a contest to create public art installations that double as full-scale clean energy generators.

In approving the generator proposal, General McChrystal told his staff: "While I think Kajaki is critical for a long-term solution, there ain't no long-term if we don't win short-term."

Even though plans exist to deploy backup power generators to ensure a constant supply of electricity, no such system is in place at the moment.