Factorio Forums

Transport belts should require energy to transport items.
This could be done by powering transport belts. Each transport belt element consumes a bit of energy when transporting an item. Transport belt elements can be powered via electric network or by a powered adjacent transport belt element. At pre-electric stage transport belts can be connected to a special device - boiler drive that consumes fuel to power a transport belt element.
Powered transport belt elements can glow in the dark.

No.

It wouldn't make the game any more fun and would add a massive drain on performance.

See viewtopic.php?f=80&t=21921 Poll: Should belts use energy (and Offshore Pumps etc...)