I believe a true civilization would coherent with the natural principles of the fundamental elements.

1. Type 0: Parasitic. A civilization lives on a host planet; extracts resources from the host without benefiting to the host. Objective is focused on controlling resources; Progress is commanded by interests; And, effort is enslaved by benefits. It's lack of clear objectives and commitments of achieving higher civilization. It is unable to recover from the altered environment by it's activity. The civilization is trapped in it's mistakes of uncorrected errors. It is struggling to find a way out.

2. Type I: Energy Mastery. A civilization achieved free and clean energy in perfect cycle. Energy is essential to re-engineer the structure of matter. Achieving the completely proficient of energy is the basis of matter mastery.

3. Type II: Energy and Matter Mastery. A civilization achieved the knowledge and technology of mastering the energy and matter in perfect cycle. It is capable of engineering unique structures of matter that can not be done by random or lengthy processes of natural. Resource scarcity is no longer an issue. The civilization is the guardian of it's host planet.

Don't think our progress is due to cheap energy. The truth is, our lack of progress is due to costly harness of energy and matter.