False. Solar power combined with wind power and battery energy storage (SWB) will provide energy that is both cleaner and cheaper than fossil fuels, which will mean more energy per person, not less.

Solar power is now the cheapest form of power in most of the world. (Watch RethinkX co-founder Tony Seba explain why in our YouTube video) Because energy is an input into virtually all other goods and services, as the cost of energy falls, so does the cost of everything else. Cheaper energy will mean cheaper transport, cheaper food, cheaper water and so on. A world powered by SWB is therefore one of abundance, not austerity.

Energy abundance goes hand-in-hand with social and economic prosperity. History clearly shows that energy austerity is a path to poverty, inequality and conflict, not prosperity. (Read p5-6 of Rethinking Humanity for a more detailed analysis of abundance vs austerity across human civilizations, by James Arbib RethinkX co-founder)

Moreover, using less energy will not solve our sustainability challenges, just as extinguishing only some of the flames on a burning building will not save it from destruction. (Watch RethinkX Director of Research Adam Dorr describe why austerity will not solve our greatest challenges in our YouTube series 'Brighter').

Focusing on the quantity of energy is therefore a red herring. Instead, we must focus on whether our energy is clean or dirty. Energy from SWB is clean, and as long as energy is clean, more is better.

Explore the evidence...

• A future powered by SWB is inevitable. SWB is the cheapest, most efficient source of energy we have at hand, and will create an abundance of energy as illustrated in the image below. To learn more about the future of SWB read p8 of our Rethinking Energy report.

• A 100% SWB system is not like existing systems. It will create superabundant, near-marginal cost energy as well as meeting existing demand. Watch RethinkX founder Tony Seba describe this in more detail in our YouTube series 'The Great Transformation'.

• The superabundance of near-zero marginal cost electricity from clean sources will have a transformative impact on our societies. It will allow radically new business models to emerge across a range of industries. We call this superabundance of solar, wind and battery energy SWB Superpower. The shift from high marginal cost to near-zero marginal cost energy will parallel what we have already witnessed with the shift from expensive to nearly costless information, with equally profound implications for affected industries, the economy and society at large. We are heading for abundance, not austerity! Read more about SWB Superpower on p52-53 of our Rethinking Energy report.

• Conventional clean energy scenarios make the common error of misunderstanding that disruptive new technologies tend to disproportionately replace the old system with a new system that has dramatically different architecture, boundaries and capabilities. History also shows that in most instances the new system is much larger than the old one it displaces, and the SWB disruption of the energy sector will be no exception. Read p20-22 of our Rethinking Energy report for a deep dive into the nature and potential of SWB Superpower.

Witness the transformation

A new, clean energy system run by 100% SWB is inevitable, and will produce a superabundant surplus of clean energy at near-zero marginal cost that we call SWB Superpower. There will be no need for austerity when there is abundance!

Learn more about the disruption and transformation of the energy sector.

Published on: 12/07/23