Small Generator

The Small Generator is a portable power item that converts Organic into Power over time. It can be printed, carried in a backpack widget slot, placed on a platform, or set directly on the ground. When Organic is placed on top of it, the generator consumes the fuel and feeds the power grid until the Organic is used up.

The generator can also be turned on and off, which lets players save fuel for later instead of consuming it continuously. When placed on the ground, it creates a small platform beneath itself, which allows two power cables to be connected. This makes it useful not only as a temporary backpack power source, but also as a simple power node when setting up early infrastructure.

• The Small Generator can be used in automated fuel setups by placing it on a platform with attached storage that holds Organic. When one nugget is exhausted, the next is pulled automatically until no fuel remains.
• In the Excavation Update, it swapped places with the Small Solar Panel as part of a power management tutorial.
• In the Basebuilding Update, it gained the ability to be toggled on and off, and it now creates a small platform when placed on the ground.
• The mission Powerful Problems requires the player to print and connect a Small Generator to a power network.

Its exact efficiency is reported differently across sources: some guides state that one Organic fuel nugget lasts 100 seconds and produces 100 Units, while others describe a longer burn time and higher output. The item is nevertheless consistently used as a basic early-game source of power, especially when paired with backpack storage, platforms, and simple automated refueling.