Beatrice Lang
In the city-building game Cities: Skylines 2, electricity export is a crucial aspect of ensuring a positive cash flow for your city. Generating a steady income can be challenging, especially in the early stages of the game, but exporting electricity can be a lucrative endeavour. To successfully export electricity, players must first establish power-generating structures and connect them to a Transformer Station. This connection is made through power lines, which then lead to the city's power grid. It is important to note that power lines have a maximum capacity of 400MW, so utilising multiple lines can increase the amount of electricity exported. By following these steps, players can sell their excess electricity to neighbouring towns and cities, earning funds to recoup production costs and boost their city's economy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Why export electricity? | To earn extra money or recoup production costs |
| How to export electricity? | Connect electricity source to a Transformer Station, then connect the Transformer Station to Power Lines that run into your city limits from neighboring connections |
| Power line voltage | High voltage lines can carry a maximum of 400MW, low voltage lines have a maximum capacity of 40MW |
| Power line placement | Power lines can be placed underground by setting their elevation in the toolbar to -10m |
| Power generation | Always generate more power than your city needs |
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What You'll Learn
Building electricity-producing structures
To export electricity in Cities: Skylines 2, you must first build structures that produce electricity. The choice of how to generate power is up to the player, with multiple options available, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
For example, power plants are a common source of electricity but can cause ground and noise pollution. The Advanced Wind Turbine is a good alternative, but it must be placed on water, and weather conditions can impact production. Another option is the Wave Power Plant, which is more efficient when placed in windy areas. Those looking to reduce pollution may want to consider the carbon impact of various power stations. Additionally, the Ultimate Recycling Plant generates a small amount of electricity while primarily serving to dispose of garbage.
Once you have chosen your electricity-producing structures, you need to connect them to a Transformer Station. This can be done by placing Power Lines near the structures and leading them out of your city to the Transformer Station. High-voltage power lines are used to transfer a non-usable version of power, but when fed into a transformer, you can convert it into a low-voltage version. To increase the amount of electricity exported, you may need to use several power lines, especially if your power-producing buildings have access to the edge of the map.
It is important to note that electricity is a necessity in Cities: Skylines 2, and you should always generate more power than your city needs. With proper planning, you can generate a good source of income through your power system by exporting any excess electricity to neighbouring towns and cities.
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Connecting to a Transformer Station
To export electricity in Cities: Skylines 2, you must first connect your electricity source to a Transformer Station. Transformer stations are a special type of building that comes with two power nodes but does not generate any power of their own. They are cheap to maintain and produce little noise pollution.
Each power plant has two power nodes: a low-voltage node that powers the city and a high-voltage node that can connect to other power plants, transformers, and outside connections. In the Electricity info view, low-voltage connections are yellow and orange, while high-voltage connections (and power sources) are blue.
Once you have one or more places in your city producing electricity, you can check the Electricity Trade Menu to see the exact numbers tied to each structure you've created. You must place power lines near the structures producing power. Power lines can only carry so much energy at once, and if the demand on a single power line exceeds its capacity, it'll create a bottleneck. High-voltage lines can also suffer from bottlenecks, so players should add more transformers and possibly more outside connections to the network.
To connect to a Transformer Station, make sure your power lines leading out of your city are also connected to the Transformer Station to ensure the power is flowing in a way that helps you make a profit. The high-voltage lines can carry a maximum of 400MW, so to shift 800MW anywhere, you need at least two high-voltage lines. Using it internally is more difficult since the low-voltage lines have a maximum capacity of 40MW. To use the full 800MW in your city, you need a proper grid – high-voltage lines to transformers, and low-voltage lines from the transformers to the city power grid.
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Using high-voltage power lines
High-voltage power lines are an important aspect of power management in Cities: Skylines 2, especially when it comes to exporting electricity. Here's a detailed guide on using high-voltage power lines effectively:
Understanding High-Voltage Power Lines:
High-voltage power lines in Cities: Skylines 2 serve the purpose of transferring a non-usable version of power over long distances. They are particularly useful when you need to transfer power across bodies of water or to neighbouring cities. These lines are essential when you want to export electricity to generate revenue for your city.
Setting Up High-Voltage Power Lines:
To set up high-voltage power lines, you'll need to follow these steps:
- Identify Power Sources: First, identify the structures in your city that produce electricity, such as power plants or renewable energy sources like wind turbines or solar farms.
- Connect to Transformer Stations: Next, connect the power grid from these structures to Transformer Stations. Transformer Stations are special buildings that allow you to convert high-voltage power to low-voltage power, which can then be distributed within your city.
- Use High-Voltage Lines for Long-Distance Transfer: High-voltage power lines are ideal for transferring power over long distances or across obstacles like bodies of water. Use them to connect your Transformer Stations to the power lines running into your city limits or to neighbouring cities.
- Monitor Power Demand and Capacity: Keep in mind that power lines have a maximum capacity. For example, in the game, high-voltage lines can carry a maximum of 400MW. Ensure that you have enough high-voltage lines to handle the amount of power you intend to export or transfer.
- Address Bottlenecks: Pay attention to potential bottlenecks in your power distribution network. If a single power line exceeds its capacity, it can create a bottleneck, leading to brownouts or blackouts. To mitigate this, add more transformers and outside connections to the network. Build additional roads leading from the power plant to the city to provide multiple paths for power transfer.
- Underground Power Lines: While high-voltage power lines are typically above ground, you can set their elevation in the toolbar to -10m to place them underground, maintaining the aesthetics of your city.
Benefits of Using High-Voltage Power Lines:
- Long-Distance Power Transfer: They allow you to transfer power over long distances, making them ideal for exporting electricity to neighbouring cities or across large areas within your city.
- Higher Capacity: High-voltage lines have a higher capacity than low-voltage lines, allowing you to transfer more power with fewer lines, which is especially beneficial when exporting electricity to generate revenue.
- Reduced Noise and Pollution: By using high-voltage power lines and substations, you can reduce the number of power plants within populated areas, decreasing noise and air pollution for your citizens.
By following these guidelines, you can effectively utilise high-voltage power lines in Cities: Skylines 2 to manage your city's power distribution and export electricity to generate additional income.
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Checking the Electricity Trade Menu
To check the Electricity Trade Menu, you must first ensure that your power supply is connected and working. Once you have one or more places in your city producing electricity, you can check the Electricity Trade Menu to see the exact numbers tied to each structure you've created.
To do this, you will need to attach a high-voltage power line to the existing power line that leads out of the city. This power cannot be used directly, so you will need to feed the power line into a transformer, which then converts it to a usable (low-voltage) version. Transformers then attach to the road, which has underground power cables. Any building that is connected to the road will then be able to use this power.
To check if your system is working, go to the City Economy menu, then the Budget tab. Navigate to Service Trade and look at the section in the bottom right to check how much money your city is making after you export electricity.
It is important to note that power lines have a maximum capacity of 400MW, so to export more electricity, you will need to use several power lines. It is best to use a separate (export) line for each power-producing building and connect them all up somewhere in your city.
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Earning money from exports
Building Power Generation Infrastructure:
Firstly, you need to establish a robust power generation system within your city. This can be done by constructing power plants or other electricity-generating structures. These structures will be the source of the electricity you plan to export. Ensure that your power plants are well-maintained and have access to the necessary resources, such as fossil fuels or water, to produce electricity.
Connect to a Transformer Station:
Once you have a steady supply of electricity, it's time to connect to a Transformer Station. The Transformer Station acts as a central hub for electricity distribution. Connect your power plants to the Transformer Station using power lines, ensuring that the power lines are placed underground for aesthetic purposes and to avoid obstructions.
Utilize High Voltage Power Lines:
To maximize the amount of electricity you can export, use high-voltage power lines. These lines have a higher capacity than low-voltage lines, allowing you to transmit more electricity. Connect the Transformer Station to high-voltage power lines that extend outside your city's limits. This enables you to sell electricity to neighboring towns and cities.
Monitor Your Exports and Profitability:
To ensure that you're making a profit from your electricity exports, regularly check the Electricity Trade Menu or the City Economy menu. Here, you can view the exact numbers tied to each structure and see how much money your city is earning from electricity exports. This will help you adjust your production and distribution strategies as needed.
Always Generate More Power Than You Need:
A good rule of thumb is to always generate more electricity than your city requires. This surplus electricity can then be exported and sold, bringing in additional revenue. It's important to strike a balance between meeting your city's needs and producing enough excess electricity to make exports worthwhile.
Expand Your Exports:
As your city grows, consider expanding your exports beyond electricity. Look into exporting other resources, such as water, to diversify your city's economy and further increase your profits. Proper urban planning and a diverse range of exports can help you build a thriving and profitable city in Cities: Skylines 2.
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Frequently asked questions
To export electricity, you must first connect your electricity source to a Transformer Station. Then, connect the Transformer Station to the Power Lines that run outside your city limits.
To check if you are exporting electricity, go to the Electricity Trade section in the Electricity submenu.
Once your power lines are connected, you will automatically receive funds for any excess electricity that is traded to neighbouring towns and cities.
A power line has a max capacity of 400MW. To increase the amount of electricity exported, you will need to use several power lines.
Always generate more power than your city needs. This will ensure that you have excess electricity to export and make money from.
