Introduction: Energy in history, the history of energy

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Energy is a rich concept that can analyze much of the evolution of societies over time. Whether it be the means of production, forms of consumption, or periods of tension or scarcity, the quest for energy prompted humanity to go further in its search for new resources, to ceaselessly innovate, to share and conquer. While energy has been the basis of economic growth since the late 18th century, and even more so after 1945, its role cannot be reduced to the number of kilowatt-hours consumed. Energy-related issues actually affect major geopolitical, societal, political and environmental balances. Numerous new avenues connected to energy can be explored thanks to pioneering work surrounding questions of “gender,” transition, and network transformation, all of which are subjects of the past that remain topical today, and that must be confronted in the future. Sometimes in competition and sometimes complementary, different forms of energy form an indispensable framework for historical evolution. The great complexity involved in grasping the phenomenon calls for increasing historical viewpoints with help from all of the social sciences.