Power (Building)

Power buildings are the structures used to generate, store, move, regulate, and consume electricity in Oxygen Not Included. They form the backbone of a base’s infrastructure: generators produce power, batteries buffer excess supply, wires carry it to consumers, and regulators such as transformers and switches help prevent overloads and control distribution. As a base grows, these systems usually expand from simple early-game wire networks into larger grids built around higher-capacity conductors and automation.

The earliest power setup is straightforward: the Manual Generator is available from the start, along with basic Wire and Battery. From there, progression opens up cleaner or more efficient generators such as the Coal Generator, Hydrogen Generator, Natural Gas Generator, and Steam Turbine, plus utility pieces like the Wire Bridge and Switch. Later technologies add Conductive Wire, Heavi-Watt Wire, Joint Plates, Power Transformers, Large Power Transformers, and automation-enabled tools like the Smart Battery and Power Shutoff, letting a colony build more efficient power layouts with less wasted fuel and less risk of overloading lines.

A few practical points matter when planning a grid:

• Batteries store extra power for later use, but they slowly discharge when idle. Smart Batteries are especially useful because they can signal generators to stop producing power when the grid is already full.
• Power Transformers protect networks from overload, but a single transformer is not enough to fully exploit Conductive Wire, so larger systems often use them in pairs.
• Heavi-Watt wire carries much more power than normal Wire, but it is terrible for Decor and cannot pass through tiles except with Joint Plates.
• Conductive Wire and Conductive Wire Bridge carry more power than standard wire without decor penalties, but they require Refined Metal.
• Generators differ not only in fuel use but also in heat, byproducts, and availability. Wood Burners are easy to fuel but inefficient and dirty, while Coal Generators and Hydrogen Generators are cleaner choices for different stages of the game.
• Solar Panels and Steam Turbines provide renewable power, but each comes with environmental or setup requirements.

The Bionic Booster Pack DLC adds the Power Bank system, which introduces portable batteries and dedicated buildings such as the Power Bank Charger, Compact Discharger, and Large Discharger. These let Power Banks be charged, discharged, and integrated into a colony’s grid, providing a separate energy system for Bionic Duplicants and Flydos.