Knowra Energy transition Energy transition An energy transition is a large-scale shift in how energy is produced, converted, distributed, and used, often changing dominant fuels and technologies.
Renewable energy : Energy obtained from sources replenished naturally on human timescales, including sunlight, wind, water, and geothermal heat. Solar, wind, and other renewables are replacing fossil fuels in electricity and heat supply.
Industrial Revolution : A period of major economic and technological change beginning in Britain in the eighteenth century and spreading worldwide. Industrialization drove a major shift from traditional biomass toward coal-powered machinery.
Electric vehicle : A road vehicle propelled partly or entirely by electric motors powered by onboard batteries or another electrical source. Electric vehicles replace petroleum combustion in much of road transport.
Climate change mitigation : Human actions that reduce greenhouse-gas emissions or increase their removal from the atmosphere. Replacing unabated fossil energy is a major strategy for limiting warming.
Fossil fuel : A fuel formed from ancient organic matter, including coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Fossil fuels are the incumbent energy sources that many transition pathways seek to displace.
Electrification : The substitution of electricity for direct use of fuels in applications such as transport, heating, and industrial processes. Shifting end uses to electricity allows them to draw on lower-emission power sources.
Coal : A combustible sedimentary rock formed from ancient plant matter and used as a fuel. Coal became the dominant fuel of industrialization and remains a major source of emissions.
Heat pump : A device that transfers heat from a cooler place to a warmer one using work, usually electricity. Heat pumps can replace fossil-fuel boilers while delivering more heat than their electrical input.
Just transition : A framework for making economic shifts to sustainability fair to workers and communities affected by change. Coal regions and fossil-fuel workers can bear concentrated costs as energy systems change.
Nuclear power : Electricity generated through nuclear fission, typically using heat to drive a turbine. Nuclear power is a low-carbon option whose role is disputed across transition strategies.
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