Energy Transition and Historical Narratives

The discussion reveals that after two centuries of energy transition, Britain's current energy production relies heavily on wood, using four times more than in the 18th century to generate just 1.5% of its energy. This challenges the dominant narrative that energy transitions signify a linear move away from traditional fuels like wood to modern coal and oil. Instead, it emphasizes that historical energy use cannot merely be framed as a replacement story, but rather as a more complex interplay of energy sources over time. The author argues that the framing of energy history needs to be reconsidered to better reflect this continuous symbiosis between energy forms.