Most people: Let us optimize so we use less energy.

Me: Let’s use more energy!

Before you start panicking about burning coal, etc. consider:

- we literally rate civilization development by how much energy they can harness (Kardashev’s scale).
- we need more energy to fight the effects of climate change - if it gets warmer, we need air conditioning and air conditioning needs energy.
- we have good technologies for renewable energy. Actually, great:

- Solar panel prices have fallen by approximately 90% in the last decade, even before adjusting for inflation, roughly 93% cheaper in real terms.
- Wind is also cheaper, although in recent years the price increased
- Batteries cost 97% less than three decades ago, just in 2024 they dropped 20%

The thing that most people don’t see, especially if they do naive calculations - increasing percentage of non-reliable energy (wind, solar) actually increases need for energy sources that adjust fast (mainly gas, but yes, also coal). Imagine the wind stops blowing suddenly or there’s a cloud coming over a solar farm. What do you do? Nuclear takes 24 hours to adjust…

There are several options - produce more and let Bitcoin miners consume the excess, or turn on the coal plant.

But this is centralized thinking. Batteries are also cheap. Constructing big battery farms is still not very feasible, but what is feasible is decentralization. Make your own energy (solar, wind), load up your home batteries. What you lose in the system due to battery storage you make in not needing distribution (that also has loss and other costs). It also add resiliency. Remember the blackouts in Czech Republic or Spain? The blackouts are localized in a decentralized system - not a single grid, but many compartmentalized production, storage and usage facilities.

And then let’s use the energy. Local AI inference, charge up the cars, max those ACs. Approaching Kardashev scale 1, one home at a time.

If you were skeptical about decentralized energy ten years ago, your numbers are totally out of date. Do the math.

Pro tip: Build the solar system from Bitcoin-collateralized loan. You are shorting fiat, fixing future price of energy for yourself, you get resilience, sovereignty. Pay the loan from what you save on energy, becoming your own energy provider.

The states are still thinking in dinosaur terms - one big grid, the overlords optimizing it. The future is decentralized.