Age of Abundance: Energy

One of the most important factors leading us into the Age of Abundance is the cost of energy. This is the one resource that separates nations from each other. Who has access to cheap, abundant energy?

If we look back 100 years ago, one of the major leaps forward by the global economy is the advancements in energy. There is no doubt, going back even further, the steam engine was a mega step forward. Of course, this was improved upon with the development of the gas engine. Nuclear came into being along with natural gas. And now we are looking at renewable energy, primarily solar and wind.

Many opined that Nikola Tesla created free energy more than a century ago only to have JP Morgan, the most powerful banker at the time, sabotage the idea since he could not make any money from it. Did this one decision put the world on the path of another century plus of having resources allocated?

One of the main aspects of the scarcity model is energy. By controlling energy, and charging for it, those at the top maintain their power structure. Nations that do not have access to abundant, inexpensive energy are basically left to starve. Those nations have little production since most of the energy is provided manually.

This is changing. Recent developments in the renewable energy sector are shifting the balance of power. Those countries that were without electricity or other power sources are now finding them can erect systems for a lot less than the developed nations did.

The world of solar witnessed a drastic reduction in prices. Here is a chart that shows the change in solar cells over the last few decades.

In North America, the price drop in solar outpaced every other energy source.

Source

Without reliable, inexpensive energy, communication systems are primitive. Clean drinking water is close to impossible. Manufacturing is slow since the most valuable commodity is human labor. Those who have access to it can control those without. Forget generation gap, we are looking at a couple century gap.

Anyone who spends time on @steemhunt sees a host of products that are coming to market that can use and store the power of the sun. There are many devices that will be charged simply by plugging into these items. There are solar powered benches that can be put in parks to power phones and laptops. We see cookers that are run by solar. Of course, panels are starting to be put on cars to power items such as the radio.

And we are just in the early stages.

Another decade is going to see massive headway in this area. The prices of both solar and wind are expected to keep dropping. Many countries are already mandating the shift to cleaner forms of energy. As we see things keep decreasing in size, cost, and accessibility, we are going to see more power (pun fits) in the hands of individuals. We are already seeing some microgrids forming which breaks the stranglehold the utility companies have over individuals.

Energy is following the path of communications, information, and now money. Couple all this with another decade of 3D printing advancements and you can see how each household will be it's own mini-manufacturing plant. Imaging being able to download a digital scan for free, or near free, and printing the item out for pennies on the dollar. That is going to be the norm for many of us in the 2030s.

Do not be surprised if you find a lot of this connected to blockchain and utilizing cryptocurrency.

This is the direction things are heading in.

It is going to be an exciting time.

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