From a developing standpoint the only solution to energy consumption (regardless of it being "immense" or not as it is claimed) is to find an alternative mining algorithm that doesn't consume the same amount of energy but at the same time keeps the principles of Bitcoin such as decentralization intact.
So far the attempts made in the past with alternative algorithms (such as Proof of Stake) are introducing serious flaws into the system by changing the algorithm.
Still on the developers stand point,
I’ve come to understand that mining of Bitcoin have had a shift as per level of sophistication. From a time when all that was needed was just a device, a desktop was okay for the task and now, they’ve got sophisticated devices designed for the sole purpose of coming up with these calculations for block reward and confirmation of transactions.
This is largely due to the design by Satoshi Nakamoto as per difficulty level and block reward after the halving. With the fact that, these devices are the ones using up these energy, wouldn’t it make more sense for the company behind these devices design it in such a way that, it’s able to use less energy or perhaps have some backup energy source to switch to remotely, creating a time out for conventional energy source like the fossil fuel.