The First World War and the Latin American transition from coal to petroleum

Abstract

While it is true that the precise nature of the future energy transition is uncertain, and no standardized transition is expected as such, it is also true that the energy transition phenomenon can only be described as an historical phenomenon. The Latin American early adoption of petroleum as principal energy source during the first quarter of the 20th century challenged the universality of the energy transition observed for the advanced economies and the associated features regarding pace, irreversibility and the sequence within the energy transition. This paper deepens on the analysis of this episode marked by the disruptions created by First World War to show how economic, geographical and political aspects defined the shape and pace of the early switch to oil of the Latin American republics. The aim is to develop a more nuanced understanding of socio-spatial contexts, scale, and the global-local relationships that constitute core elements of socio-technical systems.