How do I provide electricity to buildings?

[SamsTheMan]

I have a power plant supplied with oil and it says its generating electricity. However the steam engine factory right next to it says it isn't getting electricity

[tacoshy]

are they connected by road? electricity is not an aura but depend on the streets.

[Whispdragoon62]

Oil Harbor and Power plant need to be connected by rail to deliver oil.

Generated Power is delivered by roads, and has little power poles if the block is powered.

Its a distance aura by road connection just like the Market.

[Primigenia]

power is distributed via roads, you have to connect a road to the powerplant that goes wherever you need the electricity

[SamsTheMan]

to get electricity across the island do I have to have railroads running all over the island to provide the power plants with oil? it seems very hard to set up railroads everywhere since I can't build them over roads except for one tile

[Chaosium]

For very large islands like Crown Falls, gas power plants are the way to go. Yes gas is a pain to set up but not having 3845241 kilometers of railway everywhere is a blessing

[Tankfriend]

Originally posted by SamsTheMan:

to get electricity across the island do I have to have railroads running all over the island to provide the power plants with oil? it seems very hard to set up railroads everywhere since I can't build them over roads except for one tile

If you want (or have) to use oil powerplants, then yes, there is no choice but to put down railway lines. Preferably a double line, so trains can move both directions simultaneously for added reliability.

If you have "The Passage" DLC (part of Season Pass 1) that lets you go to the Arctic, then you can also advance your arctic settlements until you can produce arctic gas, which can then be used to fuel gas powerplants in the old world. Since gas canisters, unlike oil, are a normal good, you can transport the gas with any normal cargo ship, and your gas powerplants will refuel from a warehouse, rather than having to rely on a train.

There's also a few items that provide electricity to select types of buildings, and there's mods that add more powerplant options.

[SamsTheMan]

I don't understand why I only have one train running at a time when I built a parallel track. Obviously I can only have one track leaving from the harbor but after that I expanded into two but it shows only one active train and 2 others idle

[Primigenia]

Originally posted by SamsTheMan:

I don't understand why I only have one train running at a time when I built a parallel track. Obviously I can only have one track leaving from the harbor but after that I expanded into two but it shows only one active train and 2 others idle

upgrade the oil harbor to get more trains

[Hundinger]

Originally posted by SamsTheMan:

I don't understand why I only have one train running at a time when I built a parallel track. Obviously I can only have one track leaving from the harbor but after that I expanded into two but it shows only one active train and 2 others idle

Are more trains needed? If your power plants get their oil in time, everything's okay.