Hi
My suggestion - have fuel for all late-game equipment (chainsaw/drill, etc.) that would make scythe and pickaxe still a useful bit of it (assuming fuel scarcity). Power lights and devices (electric drill/chainsaw/car/bike etc.) from batteries that would be charged from solar panels, wind turbines, near hellish geothermal plants, maybe a waterwheel (assuming terraforming with water ways being affected - divert a spring to give you power). One could easily add some steampunk elements (or just a stirling engine or other), this would modify the game principles a bit, pushing it towards survival and potentially giving the player a push towards getting some resources.
Trading would be something I always liked in a game, but I'd settle for a mod/plugin later on
TLDR: things use power, power is not infinite.
