diff --git a/code/game/machinery/autolathe.dm b/code/game/machinery/autolathe.dm
index 9aeb0d21c12..1636613ad50 100644
--- a/code/game/machinery/autolathe.dm
+++ b/code/game/machinery/autolathe.dm
@@ -221,40 +221,37 @@
 		return
 
 	//use power
-	var/power = 0
+	var/total_charge = 0
 	for(var/material in design.materials)
-		power += round(design.materials[material] * material_cost_coefficient * build_count)
-	power = min(active_power_usage, power)
-	if(!directly_use_power(power))
-		say("Not enough power in local network to begin production.")
-		return
+		total_charge += round(design.materials[material] * material_cost_coefficient * build_count)
+	var/charge_per_item = total_charge / build_count
 
 	var/total_time = (design.construction_time * design.lathe_time_factor * build_count) ** 0.8
 	var/time_per_item = total_time / build_count
-	start_making(design, build_count, time_per_item, material_cost_coefficient)
+	start_making(design, build_count, time_per_item, material_cost_coefficient, charge_per_item)
 	return TRUE
 
 /// Begins the act of making the given design the given number of items
 /// Does not check or use materials/power/etc
-/obj/machinery/autolathe/proc/start_making(datum/design/design, build_count, build_time_per_item, material_cost_coefficient)
+/obj/machinery/autolathe/proc/start_making(datum/design/design, build_count, build_time_per_item, material_cost_coefficient, charge_per_item)
 	PROTECTED_PROC(TRUE)
 
 	busy = TRUE
 	icon_state = "autolathe_n"
 	update_static_data_for_all_viewers()
 
-	addtimer(CALLBACK(src, PROC_REF(do_make_item), design, material_cost_coefficient, build_time_per_item, build_count), build_time_per_item)
+	addtimer(CALLBACK(src, PROC_REF(do_make_item), design, material_cost_coefficient, build_time_per_item, charge_per_item, build_count), build_time_per_item)
 
 /// Callback for start_making, actually makes the item
 /// Called using timers started by start_making
-/obj/machinery/autolathe/proc/do_make_item(datum/design/design, material_cost_coefficient, time_per_item, items_remaining)
+/obj/machinery/autolathe/proc/do_make_item(datum/design/design, material_cost_coefficient, time_per_item, charge_per_item, items_remaining)
 	PROTECTED_PROC(TRUE)
 
 	if(!items_remaining) // how
 		finalize_build()
 		return
 
-	if(!is_operational)
+	if(!directly_use_power(charge_per_item))
 		say("Unable to continue production, power failure.")
 		finalize_build()
 		return
diff --git a/code/modules/power/power.dm b/code/modules/power/power.dm
index 798bf2a2d75..f12da549da3 100644
--- a/code/modules/power/power.dm
+++ b/code/modules/power/power.dm
@@ -143,17 +143,17 @@
  * - Amount: How much power the APC's cell is to be costed.
  */
 /obj/machinery/proc/directly_use_power(amount)
-	var/area/A = get_area(src)
-	var/obj/machinery/power/apc/local_apc
-	if(!A)
+	var/area/my_area = get_area(src)
+	if(isnull(my_area))
+		stack_trace("machinery is somehow not in an area, nullspace?")
 		return FALSE
-	local_apc = A.apc
-	if(!local_apc)
+	if(!my_area.requires_power)
+		return TRUE
+
+	var/obj/machinery/power/apc/my_apc = my_area.apc
+	if(isnull(my_apc))
 		return FALSE
-	if(!local_apc.cell)
-		return FALSE
-	local_apc.cell.use(amount)
-	return TRUE
+	return my_apc.cell.use(amount)
 
 /**
  * Attempts to draw power directly from the APC's Powernet rather than the APC's battery. For high-draw machines, like the cell charger
diff --git a/code/modules/research/machinery/_production.dm b/code/modules/research/machinery/_production.dm
index 8bf9c0051d0..dd282040ab0 100644
--- a/code/modules/research/machinery/_production.dm
+++ b/code/modules/research/machinery/_production.dm
@@ -243,40 +243,39 @@
 		return FALSE
 
 	//use power
-	var/power = active_power_usage
+	var/total_charge = 0
 	for(var/material in design.materials)
-		power += round(design.materials[material] * coefficient * print_quantity / 35)
-	power = min(active_power_usage, power)
-	use_power(power)
+		total_charge += round(design.materials[material] * coefficient * print_quantity / 35)
+	var/charge_per_item = total_charge / print_quantity
 
 	if(production_animation)
 		flick(production_animation, src)
 
 	var/total_time = (design.construction_time * design.lathe_time_factor * print_quantity) ** 0.8
 	var/time_per_item = total_time / print_quantity
-	start_making(design, print_quantity, time_per_item, coefficient)
+	start_making(design, print_quantity, time_per_item, coefficient, charge_per_item)
 
 	return TRUE
 
 /// Begins the act of making the given design the given number of items
 /// Does not check or use materials/power/etc
-/obj/machinery/rnd/production/proc/start_making(datum/design/design, build_count, build_time_per_item, build_efficiency)
+/obj/machinery/rnd/production/proc/start_making(datum/design/design, build_count, build_time_per_item, build_efficiency, charge_per_item)
 	PROTECTED_PROC(TRUE)
 
 	busy = TRUE
 	update_static_data_for_all_viewers()
-	addtimer(CALLBACK(src, PROC_REF(do_make_item), design, build_efficiency, build_time_per_item, build_count), build_time_per_item)
+	addtimer(CALLBACK(src, PROC_REF(do_make_item), design, build_efficiency, build_time_per_item, charge_per_item, build_count), build_time_per_item)
 
 /// Callback for start_making, actually makes the item
 /// Called using timers started by start_making
-/obj/machinery/rnd/production/proc/do_make_item(datum/design/design, build_efficiency, time_per_item, items_remaining)
+/obj/machinery/rnd/production/proc/do_make_item(datum/design/design, build_efficiency, time_per_item, charge_per_item, items_remaining)
 	PROTECTED_PROC(TRUE)
 
 	if(!items_remaining) // how
 		finalize_build()
 		return
 
-	if(!is_operational)
+	if(!directly_use_power(charge_per_item))
 		say("Unable to continue production, power failure.")
 		finalize_build()
 		return