Energy transition(s)

Any meaningful change from one state of an energy system to another one may constitute an energy transition. Given the many components related to the production, conversion, delivery, and use of energy, it is worth referring to energy transitions in plural. Most of the academic literature about energy transition(s) concentrates on the shifts of the structure of the primary energy supply in the long run, while in parallel, energy systems endure enormous transformations in the quantity, the quality, the methods of conversion and delivery and the destination of final energy. Meanwhile, "the energy transition" has been increasingly adopted as a shorthand for describing a pathway towards transforming the global energy sector away from fossil-based into low carbon emissions, becoming the commonest usage of the term among the public. The concept has evolved from an historical observation about energy systems into a necessary tool for achieving desirable future energy scenarios.