Power
Power is an important resource that many Buildings require to function. Unlike other resources, Peeps do not carry power between buildings; power moves automatically between buildings that generate it, Power Lines carry it, and buildings that use it to produce other resources or provide services.
Power can be wasted. Power generators can be set to continuously run for as long as they have inputs to use, and their by-product output storage is not full. If there is no more storage space for Power in the power grid of connected buildings, the excess Power will simply disappear—and the generator will keep running.
Generation
In early settlements, power is first generated by the Burner Generator. Due to easy access to and the renewable nature of Wood, it remains a useful generator throughout the Peeps' travels.
Some time later, the Fuel Generator and Battery Generator become available, and they produce significantly more power per cycle than the Burner Generator. However, both require input resources that themselves require power to produce. These advanced power generation methods have cyclical dependencies, in contrast with the Burner Generator in an open-loop system dependent on natural resources.
The Buildings above all generate by-product resources in the course of generating power. Settlements need a way to manage the by-products so power generation can be consistent.
Solar Panels require no input resources to make power, however they only work when in a system with a star. Therefore, they work reliably on settled planets, but are not consistent power generators on Kewa.
Consumption
Production buildings, construction buildings, and high-tech buildings need power to operate. Construction buildings can only produce their Resources when receiving enough power, so settlements' supply of Planks, Iron, Copper, and others require consistent power.
Before Power Lines, the Buildings requiring early power—like the Ore Smelter, Toolsmith, and Metal Smelter—need to all be touching one another. They do not need to be touching the generator itself, they just need all be touching with no roads or space between them.
