Does the monetary economic system stifle scientific progress?

We look back through history at other economic systems - feudalism and mercantilism for example and they always are replaced. However, when the individuals who are in power benefit most from the system why would they change it... and the answer is they wouldn't. Thus it will require a significant event - most likely technological - to abolish our current system and replace it with one like the Venus project proposes. The internet is a fantastic technological tool for the dissemination of unfiltered information, however it must be adopted and trusted by many more people before it can have the desired effect. In my opinion, the catalyst for change will be the development of personal energy generating devices or something similar in nature. When people realize they no longer have to rely on anyone else for energy things will change significantly. They only reason every individual on earth does not generate their own energy is because we have been told and lead to believe that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible when in fact this is totally false and could be changed in a matter of months.