I don't doubt that there are vastly more efficient ways to generate power out there.

Correct.

I just think that it's also an easy field to be a snake-oil salesman in...

As well as a fart-sniffer. They feel like they're on the cutting edge, and want to brag about being better than normies.

The government is hiding, if not "free energy," at least much cheaper energy from us. I completely believe that. Doesn't change the fact that a fuck ton of "free energy" people are the retarded "conspiracy theorists" that they try to paint all the wrongthinkers as.