^Thanks, I found out now. Turns out the initial power drain from the MFE was simply the Furnace charging up. Once it was charged, it stopped draining EU until I gave it something to work with. Also, I was using the wrong recipe. Seems like Coal Dust and Refined Iron is the way to go.
Now, having made my Mining Drill, I'm shooting for Diamond. Step 1 seems to be acquiring some Titanium, which I understand is easiest to acquire via Bauxite. However, despite my base being located smack-dab in the middle of a Pine Forest, I haven't been able to find any. I've spelunked a fair bit, and quarried up an area the size of a basketball court all the way to bedrock, but not a single bit of Bauxite yet. Am I digging in the wrong biome, or is it just that rare? We're still talking FTB Ultimate (1.4.7), by the way.
Also, my laptop seems to protest a bit after a while of playing. Short render distance and graphics set to minimum remedies it a bit, but not that much. I've heard talk of quarries (specifically, the giant holes they leave - I'm using Mining Turtles but the end result is the same) causing lag and being resource-intensive. Is this true, and if so, why? What can I do to remedy this?
Help would be deeply appreciated.