Wire

Wire is the basic power conduit in Oxygen Not Included, used to connect generators, batteries, and buildings into an electrical circuit. It is the simplest way to move power around a base and can be run through both wall and floor tiles, allowing wiring to be embedded inside constructed spaces instead of forcing exposed routes.

A key advantage of Wire is that it does not suffer a decor penalty when run through solid tiles. This makes it easy to hide inside walls or floors without affecting a room’s appearance. However, it is also the weakest power line type: once a circuit exceeds 1000 W, the wire will overload and become damaged or destroyed. Because of this, Wire is best used for small, low-power networks rather than heavily loaded industrial grids.

Some practical behavior is worth keeping in mind when laying it out:

• Wire can be used to connect generators, batteries, and other buildings.
• Running Wire through solid tiles avoids decor loss.
• If Wire is placed on a natural block, the game will automatically dig out that block first, even if it is supporting something else.
• When a circuit overloads, any Wire Bridge in the circuit takes overload damage first.
• Wire is outclassed by Conductive Wire, which can carry 2 kW and also has no decor penalty, but requires Refined Metal to build.

Because it is cheap and widely available, Wire is often the first power infrastructure a colony uses before upgrading to more durable and higher-capacity options. Its low capacity means that careful circuit planning matters: spreading power-hungry machines across separate lines helps avoid overloads, especially early in the game when colonies rely on limited materials and simple layouts.