[halpert]

But why conserve? If they find a use for that excess power then they could better their life or the lives of others.

[nitrogen]

Yes, exactly this. Iff there is more than enough free solar (or nuclear) energy, then our goal should be to maximize energy used per capita and minimize energy only for specific activities, because energy is a proxy for utility.

[plufz]

But isn’t that extremely far from current reality? I mean is there really free energy? And even solar, wind and nuclear is not without environmental and economical impact. Shouldn’t we focus on trying to optimize our energy use and to try to do as much utility as possible with as little energy as possible?