As Musk explains, "You're Kardashev level 1 if you harness the power ... Earth is estimated to be at about 0.73 on this scale, meaning humanity hasn't yet reached Type I status.

Any type of civilization on the Kardashev Scale would be more than capable of colonizing the universe. But we haven't detected any of these civilizations — and that's the heart of the Fermi Paradox.

He ties his solar vision to the Kardashev Scale, which categorizes civilizations by energy use. Musk points out humanity hasn’t even achieved Type I, where Earth’s resources are fully utilized.