Dark energy and dark matter are both used to explain the unexplainable. Dark energy has been touted as reverse gravity, pushing things apart and explaining the Universe's accelerating expansion. This idea is used to describe things we could not understand.
However, a new study demonstrates that differences in gravity can actually explain it.
In short, time in the Milky Way Galaxy (our home galaxy) may run up to 35 percent slower on average. So, while 100 years in our galaxy is 100 years for us, approximately 153 years pass in intergalactic voids. Ramp that up to a billion years, and a whole extra 500 million years happen in the void. This is additional time for expansion, so it happens much faster.
Mind blown.