Introduction

Abstract

The industrial revolution led to a technological and energy transformation in Europe. Economies that through the end of the nineteenth century had been primarily driven by coal and small-scale renewables diversified their energy mix and became increasingly dependent on oil, natural gas, medium- and large-scale hydropower and nuclear energy. Since the beginning of the 1970s, it has become increasingly clear that resource and environmental constraints significantly influence economic activities and can limit economic growth if not managed satisfactorily. Importantly, the publication of the Club of Rome report, Limits to Growth (Meadows et al. 1972) injected economic theory and modelling into the discussion of natural resource use. This book does the same in relation to a low-carbon European electricity future.