Oil Power Plant

[richb50]

I have one oil power plant right along my waterfront. Now, if I want to place one near other areas that are already developed how do I go about it. The plant needs train tracks so I would have to destroy or try to move buildings around in order to get train tracks up to the oil power plant. Is there any other way to get electricity to my other buildings.

[Tankfriend]

There are some items for the Trade Union and the Harbourmaster's Office that can provide electricity strictly for industrial purposes.
https://anno1800.fandom.com/wiki/Electricity#Items

Other than that, "The Passage" DLC introduces the arctic region, gas production, and gas power plants that consume gas, instead of oil, and only need warehouse access instead of a railroad connection.
Production and transportation of gas is both very expensive and very limited in potential quantity compared to oil, though, so gas power plants are best used only where absolutely necessary (i.e. right in the middle of a city that can't take a railway line through it for whatever reason.

"New World Rising" DLC also introduces the hydroelectric dam, but that can only be built on the extra-large New World island Manola introduced with the same DLC.

[Smokerbait]

Originally posted by richb50:

I have one oil power plant right along my waterfront. Now, if I want to place one near other areas that are already developed how do I go about it. The plant needs train tracks so I would have to destroy or try to move buildings around in order to get train tracks up to the oil power plant. Is there any other way to get electricity to my other buildings.

In the game you can move buildings, and depending on what kind of conditions you chose at the start, the cost to do so varies (and can even be free).

So, you can simply move your buildings in order to create a one tile wide corridor to put in some tracks.

[General Malaise]

Putting one on the waterfront is a waste. You're wasting a great deal of it's radius.

I imagine your first one is on Ditchwater. You can put one in the middle of the island, where it just reaches your coast, for a Steam Shipyard, then you'll need one in the centre of an area near your mines, for production. You likely won't have enough oil to keep both powered until you build an oil tanker and develop an island in the New World. When you do develop them, keep in mind to build a Fuel Station if you have Bright Harvest DLC.

Knocking down buildings is no big deal

[+Olive-]

The controls are very well done for knocking down buildings.
Moving buildings or, even change a complet layout of production chains is something that i do a lot at some point.
I find it amusing and challenging because of the simplicity of the controls.
And like General Malaise said, putting a oil power plant near water makes you waste a lot of its radius.

[kiddug]

I'll also build 2 tracks side by side so the trains can constantly be on the move as apposed to waiting till a single track clears each time. If I get like 8 oil on Cape T Crown Falls I'll build 3 tracks due the great distance from harbor to wells. However be sure you don't do 3 tracks side by side as you cannot build roads to cross them. You need to do 2 tracks leave a lane and then put the 3rd track.

[Sarsgamer]

I would use this as indication that you're ready to start moving production to a production only island.

I didn't start power plants until I started a production only island and prepped to utilize power plants on new island. As I built on new island I'd remove completely from the old island eventually freeing up lots of space to be able to fit better rail track layout. Now my first main island has just some of the basic production, like distilleries is the most of it and cement.