The snappy rejoinder "You can't conserve your way out of an energy crisis" is a truism. Unless you are in a cultural or population DECLINE, demand will always increase. It's a fact that politics cannot expunge. To offset the power consumption demands of a growing population you either continually have to cut the amount given to an individual for use till it's ludicrous or grow the energy supply to match or exceed the rate of population growth. Now mind you, thanks to modern technology, we can do more with less energy, but it's not going to ever become "Zero". Ever.
Play Sim City (Anything past Version 4 sucks). You can then implement the conservation policies all you want. Know what happens? (and these games are pretty pollyanna on the usefulness of power generated by alternative sources is pitiful and ignores EVERY known health issue that's become public knowledge in the last decade) Everyone moves away, and growth slows to a crawl. Why? Because people won't put up with it. Yes it's a game, but when it came out, even city planners who played it went... hey... this is REALLY accurate! So take it for what it's worth. I can learn rudimentary energy policy cause and effect by a game that debunks the leftist screed.
Yeah. Conserving is fine if you want to do it, but since I find it a BS way to artificially hinder myself if I can afford a better easier way of living, you go ahead. More energy for me at a cheaper rate.
