Unsettling Energy Transitions
Toward a Critical, Anticapitalist, and Plural Perspective

The ubiquitous, apparently commonsensical idea of an ongoing "energy transition" needs to be rigourously questioned.

Low-carbon technologies, or so-called renewable energy, are adding to, rather than replacing, existing fossil fuel–based energy systems. In addition, they remain closely intertwined with fossil fuels, mining, and mineral extraction alongside extensive supply chains -- with damaging effects felt particularly in the Global South. This preliminary, uncorrected version of an article appearing in the Annual Review of Environment and Resources looks at the so-called energy transition so often discussed today in the context of crucial global debates about coloniality, justice, and socioecological well-being.

Through a comprehensive literature review, the article identifies key critiques of the transition idea and gaps in current discussions. It proposes "demodernizing" energy by treating it as a contested relation; reconceptualizing justice around territorial self-determination and multiple ways of knowing and living; treating transitions as conflictual reconfigurations of landscapes that can intensify extraction; and prioritizing energy autonomy, sufficiency, and convivial infrastructures that reduce dependence. In conclusion, the review outlines research priorities for plural, anticolonial energy transformations.