Except in NC if he quits the Republican leadership can pick a replacement candidate and all of Robinson’s votes go to him. It’s all very democratic.

https://www.wral.com/story/what-happens-if-mark-robinson-drops-out-of-nc-governor-s-race/21634665/

https://ourworldindata.org/energy-production-consumption

Things are getting more energy efficient and in his chart it shows per capita flat or trending down. But unless population growth is also flat than overall is still growing.

That’s not to say energy use overall will never go down (it did during 2020 when everything shut down) but it hasn’t yet.

Edit: words are hard.