Thanks for the kind words and the detailed comparison!
The energy consumption is fully configurable in Startup settings — there are "Min energy (kW)" and "Max energy (kW)" options. Min applies at the lowest crafting speed (4×), max at the highest (12×), with linear interpolation in between.
The defaults are conservative (300–900 kW), but you can set them up to 5000 kW (5 MW). So if you want it closer to Electromagnetic Plant / Foundry levels, something like min 1000 kW / max 3000 kW would give you that balance. I'd recommend trying those values — that way it scales with the speed you've chosen.
I'll consider raising the defaults in a future update. Good point about the Foundry/EM Plant comparison