Vaclav Smil would be quick to replace the word power with electricity in the title of this article. It is why Germany can say renewables supply 56% of its electricity while renewables supply only about 21% of its energy. The rest of energy generation won't quickly be replaced with renewables: diesel and kerosene moving freight and people, natural gas in furnaces and boilers, coke reducing iron ore into steel, methane feeding the reactors that fix nitrogen to make fertilizer, and coal that turns limestone into cement.
I am fully on board with renewables! I have just found Smil's perspective quite useful here.
You've learned well from Smil how to make problems seem insurmountable by intentionally not approaching them with an engineering mindset.
We know how to do 80% of electricity, 80% of low temp hearing, 80% of transport all while saving money, reducing local pollution and delivering better products.
The big problem isnt technical,it's the culture war that Smil is fighting on the wrong side of and which spreads lies about renewables, EVs and heat pumps.
Vaclav Smil has been so wrong on energy, that I'm a bit surprised to see his name mentioned at all.
The idea of "primary energy" versus electricity is an important concept, but completely unconnected to Smil.