Energy System & Interoperability¶
IndustrialCraft 2 uses Energy Units (EU). This page explains how EU works, how cables and voltage tiers behave, and how the built-in Forge Energy (FE) bridge enables cross-mod compatibility.
1. Energy Units (EU) and Voltage Tiers¶
In IC2, energy is transmitted in discrete packets rather than a continuous stream. The size of these packets corresponds to the Voltage Tier:
| Tier | Name | Max Voltage | Default Cable / Tech Level |
|---|---|---|---|
0 |
Micro / Ultra Low | 8 EU/t | Tin cable, small sensors, micro-generators |
1 |
Low Voltage (LV) | 32 EU/t | Copper cable, basic generator, BatBox, tier 1 machines |
2 |
Medium Voltage (MV) | 128 EU/t | Gold cable, Geothermal generator, CESU, tier 2 machines |
3 |
High Voltage (HV) | 512 EU/t | HV / Glass cable, MFE, large generators |
4 |
Extreme Voltage (EV) | 2048 EU/t | Glass cable, MFSU, Molecular Transformer |
5 |
Super Voltage (SV) | 8192+ EU/t | Quantum generators, endgame reactors |
Voltage Explosion / Rejection¶
- Machines have an input voltage tier (e.g. Tier 1).
- If a machine receives a packet exceeding its max input tier (e.g. 128 EU/t into a Tier 1 machine), it will overload unless upgraded with Transformer Upgrades.
2. Cables and Conduction Loss¶
Energy travelling through cables experiences distance resistance (conduction loss):
| Cable Material | Max Safe Voltage | Loss Rate | Insulation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tin Cable | 32 EU/t (Tier 1) | ~0.025 EU / block | High efficiency for low voltage |
| Copper Cable | 128 EU/t (Tier 2) | ~0.20 EU / block | Standard factory wiring |
| Gold Cable | 512 EU/t (Tier 3) | ~0.40 EU / block | Medium-voltage distribution |
| Iron (HV) Cable | 2048 EU/t (Tier 4) | ~0.80 EU / block | High-voltage power lines |
| Glass Fibre Cable | 8192 EU/t (Tier 5) | ~0.025 EU / block | Ultimate low-loss power grid |
Uninsulated cables will shock nearby players and mobs when energized.
3. Forge Energy (FE) Interoperability¶
In Minecraft 1.21.1 on NeoForge, most modern tech mods (Mekanism, Thermal Series, Applied Energistics 2, Ender IO, Flux Networks) use Forge Energy (FE).
IC2 Rebranded features a built-in bidirectional energy bridge in all add-on bases (AddonEnergyBlockEntity, AddonMachineBlockEntity, AddonGeneratorBlockEntity, AddonEnergyStorageBlockEntity):
Conversion Ratio¶
$$\mathbf{1\text{ EU} = 2\text{ FE}}$$ $$\mathbf{1\text{ FE} = 0.5\text{ EU}}$$
Exposing FE to Other Mods¶
To let any FE energy conduit, universal cable, or generator power your block entity, add this one-line registration during RegisterCapabilitiesEvent:
import ic2.api.registry.AddonEnergyCapabilities;
import net.neoforged.neoforge.capabilities.RegisterCapabilitiesEvent;
private void registerCapabilities(RegisterCapabilitiesEvent event) {
// Bridges your custom block entity to Forge Energy automatically
AddonEnergyCapabilities.registerEnergyStorage(event, MyBlocks.MY_MACHINE_BE.get());
AddonEnergyCapabilities.registerEnergyStorage(event, MyBlocks.MY_BATTERY_BE.get());
}
That's it! Players can now connect any FE pipe or power source directly to your IC2 machine or battery block.