I'm talking about "wasted" as in the energy is collected but then not stored or put to use. That's just needless wear and tear on the machinery. If it's not collected in the first place I would just call that untapped.

And extra capacity is never really free. Someone has to invest in the infrastructure and upkeep. It's takes money and effort to get energy to the right place at the right time, such as those carbon capture and desalination plants you seem to suggest will appear out of thin air.