Maybe so.
Not only is there now the possibility of extremely efficient solar cells — like “can even collect ambient light energy at night” efficient — but there’s a team which is exploring the direct conversion of radiation into electricity.
I’m a doctor, not a physicist; but the article suggests that process might be efficient enough to recover useful amounts of power even from nuclear waste.
Both technologies are far from commercial use. But none of the technical problems discussed in the articles appear to require a leap of genius-level insight. Engineering and refinement, not fundamental discovery…
The potential is breathtaking.
