Transitions of energy regimes have significantly impacted economies and civilizations over the past 600 years, influencing how we work, produce, and live. The shifts from wood to coal, coal to oil, and the potential move to another resource have been largely driven by economic forces, yet have received little analysis from an economic theory perspective. This book aims to address this gap by first exploring historical and current transitions. It provides an overview of existing economic approaches to energy regime transitions and introduces a new interpretation grounded in evolutionary economics. Utilizing complexity theory and complex adaptive systems, it examines the mechanisms behind regime changes. The analysis includes a comparison of historical and present research on resource depletion, an exploration of path dependence in the rise and decline of the oil regime, and an investigation into the role of entrepreneurship in transitioning from oil to a potential renewable energy regime. The book concludes by highlighting energy regime transitions as a promising area for future research within evolutionary economics.
