I would love to agree that this will go down to the wire and get "fixed" at the last second - that's the way this Congress likes to work, apparently. But given that they're planning to shut down the Federal Govt again, I don't know. This bunch could just be be ornery about it.

Assuming most coal power plants have enough stockpile (or that coal can still move), the lights should stay on. Don't plan on buying gas, though; if the shutdown happens, no Bakken or any other oil product that uses rail transport will move from some time in December until the deadline changes, so I'd expect $5+ gasoline nationwide ($7.50 in CA) by New Years. And if you live out of town and use propane, fill up before the end of December - your delivery may be by truck, but there's probably a railroad car somewhere in the supply chain. If you work in an industry that depends on chemical deliveries by rail (or for a chemical or fertilizer company), plan on an extended winter vacation.

That's what will push Congress to move - not the railroads (which most in Congress couldn't care less about, except when bashing Amtrak and oil trains) but the other economic effects, which will start occurring in December (Merry Christmas!) if they don't do something by then.