A combination of the technological pathway plus the business opportunities within the system very much set the scene for the removal of independent control of one’s energy supply to seeing it concentrated into fewer and fewer hands. Indeed, it is hard to see how it could have been any other way with the pre-industrial search for wood and other easy to access fuel materials taking up so much time, energy and resources. The move to mass produced electricity and the delivery of electrical and gas through national grids has undoubtedly been a net positive for the social and economic status of many ordinary people in recent history.
But it has also impoverished many people and certainly impoverished the environment in multiple ways which we are only just realizing are catastrophic.
One of the great benefits of renewables which is not talked about quite so much is that it represents a real chance to move back to independent control of one’s energy supply. This article in IISD picks up on that from the particular view of Indigenous peoples. A good read.
Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.