A small stream of water can be channeled into a pipe which then runs downhill. A narrowing of the pipe will cause the water pressure inside the pipe to increase. When the water then sprays onto a fly wheel connected to an electric generator you get clean electricity. Look up micro-hydro electric power and discover that any community with hills and rain will be able to achieve hydro electric power. And that is 24 hours per day. Just as long as it keeps raining and the streams keep flowing.
Pelton Wheel.
Too bad I live in the high desert. Not much in the way of flowing water, but plenty of sunshine...
Wind power is sun power. Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the earth's surface by the sun.
Hydro power is fantastic and I am a big fan of it - wish we had more as well as more manmade lakes for recreation and wildlife. I have often asked when (or if) we could utilize our large aquifers to generate electricity and I have seen one set-up for a house in the mountains that utilized part of a small stream that was year round on the side of a mountain. The pipe run downhill was a couple of hundred feet and it generated enough electricity to power the home under most conditions with off the shelf components. Will be interesting to follow how the government regulates (and taxes) this.