Electricity in Equestria

[RainbowMau 291]

I used to think Equestria had medieval technology, lighting was powered by fire and the only power source was the steam, however I found two issues that make me think:

 

- In "Look Before You Sleep" a lightning caused a blackout in the library.

- DJ Pon3 and Pinkie Pie were seen using DJ equipment.

 

So, is there really electricity in Equestria or not?

Edited July 15, 2014 by RainbowMau

[-BleachedOne- 233]

It's powered by friendship, it just HAS to be.

 

An interesting point. I've debated this myself to be honest, and...I really can't say anything but magic. Sure, it hasn't really been seen in the show, but maybe it's all hidden wires and everything is plugged into the ground? That, or wireless power sources, which, again, brings up the point of MAGIC.

 

Long story short, in my opinion, magic is like nanomachines: you don't have to explain ANYTHING. I believe 'suspension of disbelief' takes care of that for us.

 

EDIT: In addendum, either the ground is a giant magic generator, or there are portable magic generators that convert magical energy into electricity.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Athrun Zala

[Pastel 7,627]

^

Maybe they convert magic into electricity because it's easier to carry.

I don't see why they wouldn't use magic directly.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Blobulle

[AlbaTross 1,581]

I never gave this much thought, because it's a similar paradox to a typical classic jrpg, where everyone lives in the dark ages, but there are some pretty cool airships. It makes zero sense that all R&D would be focused purely on airships, and the aircraft technicians refuse to share any of their technology with anyone else, but whatever. I figured Equestria has a similar thing going with DJ tech. In both cases, I call BS, but it is what it is, and strange paradoxes like that in fantasy worlds, isn't exactly a new thing, so...meh?

[boiteporte 591]

They have no power stations whatsoever and I don't see them building or operating one. I think they use magic. But I don't really know how they would convey energy.

[~ Dr. Ocsid ~ 690]

They have no power stations whatsoever and I don't see them building or operating one. I think they use magic. But I don't really know how they would convey energy.

What´s about the dam? I think it produces power, either electricitical or machinical.

Edited July 15, 2014 by YetAnotherDiscord

[boiteporte 591]

 

 

What´s about the dam? I think it produces power, either electricitical or machinical.

 

A dam does not produce electricity. It is used to retain water and can be used to produce electricity using gravitational energy but you need turbines for that. 

[Buttonmash1973 1,024]

 

Back in my early days of the fandom I thought that Rarity had a TV.

[Luna 831 465]

It is by magic have a great day .

[Nature's Spell 526]

That's one of those issues the writers haven't dealt with and although we've had tantalizing suggestions of something power like, I don't think they have electricity.

[Argumedies 1,748]

Well they had a huge hydro electric dam in the mare do well episode so I would say yes

[Pastel 7,627]

 

Back in my early days of the fandom I thought that Rarity had a TV.

I guess it's a.... chalkboard?

Edited July 18, 2014 by Blobulle

[I used to be a stranger 7,988]

Maybe the dam is just that, and not a hydroelectric dam. If my memory serves, it doesn't have shown generators, but just van den graaf antennae.

 

In all seriousness I think electricity is more of an element of as-the-plot-needs technology than a regular implement of Equestria's development.

[Invincible 2,090]

Technically speaking, Pegasi produce lightning - i suppose if need be, they could construct lightning rods under clouds to transfer captured power, as well, so there's that. But i don't think they have that evolved level of electricity we have - Alternating currents, Electric grids, sockets, powerstations... i think their electricity is used directly by machinery.

[Bella_Faus 35]

Yes. Ponies aren't really futuristic like us yet.

[Rarity Paige Belle 1,852]

Yes Equestria has electricity! After all, Manehattan has a subway system!

Edited July 19, 2014 by Rarity Paige Belle

[Pastel 7,627]

 

At 2:16 => Flim&Flam use their magic to activate their machine, there're some electric arcs(?)...

Edited July 20, 2014 by Blobulle

[Photon Jet 5,489]

I have yet to see if Equestria has a power station or not. If there is one and is having a problem, I'm the right pony for the job.

[Fractured 2,683]

If they use magic as an alternative to electricity, one would have to wonder where that much magical energy would come from. Perhaps the Tree of Harmony is a magical hotspot that Equestria can siphon? Of course, that raises the question of what the rest of the world(Griffonia in particular) is living off of.

[skbl17 199]

Based on the other technology we've seen in the show - I'll ignore that arcade machine - I would say yes. As was previously mentioned, there is a dam in the Ponyville area. While it is true that dams can be used to just create reservoirs, in the Mare do Well episode we see that there is an extra component to the dam: the little building to the side. You know, the one with those three towers jutting out from the top? If I had to guess, that is the powerhouse - the building that takes the water and generates electricity. Now, I would also hazard a guess and say that magic isn't involved in this process; if it is possible to use magic to generate electricity, which is probably true, why bother constructing hydroelectric dams? However, I am not arguing that magical electricity and "standard" electricity are mutually exclusive technologies; I would not be surprised if there was a community that used magic as electric power.
 
However, given the fact that we haven't seen electric appliances very often in the show, I would argue that in general, the nature of the electric industry in Equestria is stuck somewhere in the early 1900s. There is electricity and it can be harnessed for personal use, but outside of the major cities and some rural communities (such as Ponyville), the electric grid is spotty to nonexistent.

That being said, it is true that based on the show's target audience, I don't think this topic will be fleshed out in the show or comics anymore than it already has.

 

To sum up, yes, there is electricity generated, transmitted, and distributed in a standard, non-magical manner, and yes, it is likely that there is "magical" electricity that fulfills a similar function.

[Castle Bleck 19,163]

Isn't there some kind of hydroelectric dam in The Mysterious Mare Do Well?

[Ponitten 43]

Electricity in Equestria is a rough question, but in my opinion, they do use some kind of "magic electricity". This would be a power source capable of alimenting stuff like tank's propeller, or the DJ stuff, or the library. Also, SPOILERS in Rainbow Rocks, Twilight uses an electrical wire to power the mirror END OF SPOILER, so I think that wire could conduct magic electricity. The dam in the "Mare do well" certainly generates magic electricity too.

This is my opinion.

[Queen Sparkle 104]

Well speaking...

 

The dam in mare do well has to conduct some sort of electricity as there's another component on the side thus being the power station or they use it to make magic and in Rarity Takes Manehatten it's easily seen there's a cruise ship, a subway, and or alot of other electricity now the only things I can think of that could conduct it with magic is magic signals across the subway and cruise Wirth the subway station using magic to pull it to another point but if you think about it magic can't run everything andthey would need a quite powerful magic generator to do this and either ways if they do have a that powerful magic generator they'd need plenty of wires but I'm leaving this thread now

[skbl17 199]

Isn't there some kind of hydroelectric dam in The Mysterious Mare Do Well?

 

In my view, yes. Or maybe it's just a dam with some kind of three-pronged building next to it.

[knuckles 150]

i think they make electricity by magic or generating it from the nature like hydroelectricity