Don’t you need fuel for a generator?
Methane from compost?
I wonder if it is possible to find a working steam engine anywhere these days?
Yes, generators need gasoline.
To give you an idea of how the generators function:
During the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, we used a generator for 8 days until we got our electricity back on. The small one we had kept my refrigerator cold and I could run fans off it at the same time. At night I would run one lamp so we would not be in the dark. We also eventually bought a window unit, and ran it at night so we could be cool enough to sleep.
Microwaves and toasters did not work well at all on the small generator. I had to use my camping stove and grill to cook on.
We would fill up the tank of the generator, and it would give us about 15 or so hours of energy. The more items running off the generator, the more often we had to fill the tank with gasoline.