Hearts of Iron IV Dev Corner | Energy

Attentions, Commanders!

Here is an unexpected development—initially unscheduled for any upcoming expansion, yet poised to become a vital component of future wartime logistics. When we introduced coal alongside the free update for No Compromise, No Surrender, it didn’t quite land where we envisioned. Ultimately, we had to nerf its mechanics to the point where its impact became negligible. A recurring piece of community feedback was that using coal to symbolize energy failed to accurately capture actual power generation. Dams and cutting-edge facilities—such as the Nuclear Reactors introduced in Götterdämmerung—merely reduced a state’s power consumption rather than actively producing electricity.

To address this, we are overhauling energy into a true localized resource, with coal acting as a catalyst to supercharge regional power output. This redesign also eliminates the disproportionate penalty minor nations previously faced due to a lack of coal, ensuring that every country can cultivate a robust power grid and alter the course of history.

How Power is Generated

Power Plants are now state-level infrastructure that generate electricity dynamically, influenced heavily by local terrain. Rather than representing a single, heavily concentrated facility, this building abstracts various smaller-scale efforts to harness local energy. Consequently, even nations entirely devoid of coal reserves can successfully expand their electrical networks.

Your standard industrial base will also naturally produce a baseline amount of power. This is generally sufficient for manufacturing basic military hardware, effectively resolving our long-standing concern that smaller nations were being unfairly penalized.

Dams now yield a fixed quantity of energy while preserving their existing statewide modifiers. While technological research allows for marginal efficiency improvements, their output will remain largely static throughout the campaign.

Coal remains profoundly relevant; Power Plants can consume specific quantities of coal to dramatically boost energy production. This optimization becomes crucial when ramping up the manufacture of advanced, resource-heavy equipment.

It is worth noting that a coal deficit will only be flagged if you actively rely on it to meet your current energy quotas.

We have also updated existing game content to formally recognize power plants as functional buildings.

How Power is Consumed

Every active production line now draws electricity proportional to its output, primarily dictated by the raw materials being utilized. For instance, processing aluminum demands significantly more power than working with steel. Consequently, churning out standard infantry rifles requires minimal electricity, whereas mass-producing complex airframes will place a heavy burden on your grids.

Please note that this user interface is still a work in progress.

Certain installations also demand continuous power; as an example, the Synthetic Refinery now maintains a steady draw of 5 units of energy.

Summary

Much like current mechanics, you will strive to meet a specific fulfillment ratio. Falling short of this threshold introduces manageable penalties, meaning you won’t need to live in constant fear of minor energy shortages crippling your nation.

An overview of AI Italy’s energy generation and consumption in May 1936. Roughly half of its total power expenditure goes toward naval construction, while the remaining half supports army equipment, maintaining a fairly balanced distribution between standard supplies and aviation manufacturing.

What are your thoughts on this strategic overhaul? We look forward to hearing your feedback!

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