Cheap or nearly free energy destroys the functioning of a “shortage” based economy. While it would be chaotic to work through the financial fallout for large players the sphere of human influence/possibility would expand profoundly. The ONLY reason for suppression of cheap/free energy is for the retention of power by people with bad intentions.
Individuals and families would essentially be able to feed/house/clothe themselves. The cost to extract, produce and recycle the subcomponents of implements people required would drop rapidly. An unlimited energy supply creates a material environment where many processes involving recycling and extractive industries undergo sea changes. Old tailings reworked, oil extracted predominantly for producing items, nearly the entirety of the contents of landfills reprocessed etc...
The ONLY thing that sets in the way of society after the creation of (or revelation of) near free energy are people accustomed to power/exclusivity and religious fanaticism and AFAIC those folks can all be removed to the core lands of the followers of the conquest manual to play their games there.
Good post! You agree with me though this technology won’t dominate without upheavals and power struggles.
Believe me I hope it matures into the No. 1 source of power in my lifetime, definitely Golden Age material is coming into view.
Well said.