How many external trade routes are you using? I have about 1 internal to 2 external trade routes and I have more than enough energy to pay for biowells even though I tend to pick my external routes based on science instead of energy.
Biowells being on bionics is actually a plus for biowells. Bionics gives the institute building, which has a free tech as one of its quest options, so bionics should be a priority anyway. Also, an extra worker or two per city is hardly a crapton of hammers and maintenance.
You don't mention biowell culture output at all. Did you pick up the tech that gives them a culture yield of 1?
Biowells being on bionics is actually a plus for biowells. Bionics gives the institute building, which has a free tech as one of its quest options, so bionics should be a priority anyway. Also, an extra worker or two per city is hardly a crapton of hammers and maintenance.
You don't mention biowell culture output at all. Did you pick up the tech that gives them a culture yield of 1?