A person can make a crude steam powered generator using a large pneumatic air hammer like for truck tires attached to a PTO driven generator. All you need is a minimum 90psi high volumne steam source.
The idea came to me from watching a Mythbusters episode where they used a pair of steam powered truck impact guns to rotate their Confederate steam cannon.
With a wood fired boiler you could make power with without petroleum. Have to manage that pressure vessel pretty carefully though...
The 5 hp setup on this page
http://www.tinytechindia.com/steampowerplan.htm
looks about right. Not cheap though. It does seem to have all the boiler safety devices.