Other large power plants use steam to turn the turbine. They need energy from some source to boil water and create steam. Coal, oil, and natural gas are burned to boil water. Nuclear plants split atoms to get heat to boil water. Sunlight is focused by mirrors on water tanks to boil water.
Geothermal plants use steam heated naturally underground to turn a turbine.
Electricity is sometimes created in other ways. In a solar cell, also called a photovoltaic cell, light strikes specially treated silicon and causes electrons to flow in an electric current. In a battery, chemicals react to create an electric current.