> Think it’s meant more as a broad generalization than something that is always true.
I think you're right, but also that the majority of the problems with the worlds economies (in the richer nations) are because of similar generalizations, and as such I think it important to rebuke them.
Having more cheap energy available is good (all else being equal), but optimising for higher energy usage is absurd.
The Tiwai Point aluminum smelter uses 13% of New Zealand's electricity [0]
It's overseas owners are constantly playing hardball with the country over the price they pay. Feels like every year they threaten to shut the smelter down unless they get better electricity rates.
Exporting aluminum is basically exporting electricity, except aluminum is easy to ship, costs very little to store, and has an indefinite shelf life. For places with a lot of natural gas and no pipelines to export it, it’s often easier to export aluminum than liquified gas.
if you're burning it in aluminum-air fuel cells, it can be literally exporting electricity. right now that isn't a commercial-scale activity, but possibly it will become profitable in the coming years for places with a lot of solar power and no hvdc lines to export it
Many physical things take pretty fixed amounts of energy. Eg heating a liter of water.