[alecmg]

I think it was a reference to the way we get electricity.

Burn gas at the plant to heat water to run steam through turbine to get electricity ... and then use electricity to heat water again? Just use gas at the end point.

Getting heat from fuel (or sun) is easy and efficient. Converting it to electricity isn't.

If electricity comes from a non-fossil-fuel source - it is even more expensive/valuable.