This is a basic introduction to electricity, the main part of the game. When you begin the game, copper can be made into wires
Wires
The wire recipe is 1 copper, it is used to physically connect electricity system, and is the most common form of electricity transmission. They are very resizable, and are not restricted to being "wire shaped", so you can make square or even cube shaped wires if you need to. They have extreme malleability, but are not very durable.
Generation
Wires are useless without power to go through them. Luckily, there are many forms of power generation in the game. The most basic forms of generation are the BurnerGenerator, and its larger cousin, the SteamTurbine. Both of these run off of coal bins (and, in the case of SteamTurbines, you also need Water) and don't generate as much power as other, more advanced sources, however they are great for a basic base or for getting off your starting planet.
More advanced forms of generation exist as well, such as SolarPanels. Solarpanels are relatively cheap and require no physical fuel- they absorb sunlight for energy. This makes them great for space vehicles/buildings, however inside of an atmosphere their power output is severely limited, requiring multiple very large panels for maximum generation.
There are also physical/movement operated machines called Generators. The Generator, unlike other sources, outputs power when spun by something like an engine or WindTurbine. They require no fuel directly, however if whatever is spinning them does, then fuel may be needed. Due to their small size and relative efficiency, they are often a good choice when used en masse, however this generally requires lots of fuel and materials that might be better used elsewhere.
The most advanced generation machines are reactors. This class is made up of Reactors and DarkConverters, two very expensive and very complex (and very rewarding) generation techniques. The former, the Reactor, produces steam when fueled with Uranium and managed correctly. However, they are very dangerous, and require lots of maintenance, making automating them basically necessary. This is an advanced concept that may be covered in other tutorials. DarkConverters, however, are quite simple (albeit insanely expensive). They convert DarkMatter to energy directly at a rate of 1 DarkMatter to 1000 units of energy. This is very rewarding, however due to the rarity of DarkMatter, this is only for the very late game. You must also take caution, because DarkMatter will still be consumed when the PowerCell is full, wasting the DarkMatter.