Turbo-electric propulsion, which the U.S. Navy had adopted for capital ships with the earlier , was continued in this class. One advantage of turbo-electric drive was that the substitution of flexible electric cables for bulky steam-lines allowed the motors to be mounted further to the stern of the ship; this reduced vibration and weight by shortening the propeller shafts. Another was the ability to go astern at full power without needing a separate reverse turbine to do so, simply by reversing the electrical polarity of the motors.
The U.S. Navy continued using turbo-electric propulsion in its capital ships, which had been adopted earlier. One benefit of this system was that flexible electric cables replaced bulky steam lines, allowing the motors to be positioned further aft on the ship. This reduced vibration and weight by shortening the propeller shafts. Another advantage was the ability to reverse direction at full power without needing a separate turbine for reversing, simply by changing the electrical polarity of the motors.