Note: said society is preindustrial and has ample access to flowing water, but not fossil fuels or radioactive deposits. It also has access to mountain hot springs, which I thought could also be used as “batteries” during times when streams freeze. This last point is what set him off.
He also really hates wind turbines.
I DM’d a Pathfinder game centred around trains, once. I made the setting teeter on the edge of industrial revolution, but with magicks to handwave away mechanics/plot problems.
It was real fun. And unsurprisingly very easy to railroad the players back on track. Train aesthetics are cool.