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Energy dependency and reindustrialization are two important concerns in today’s public discourses, especially in Europe. This is actually nothing new. This paper examines the difficulties faced by 19th century Spain in achieving industrial development through the prism of access to coal and draws lessons from them. It shows that expanding the use of coal was seen as a key element to catch up with the industrializing European countries at a time when Spain was in relative economic decline. It highlights that Spanish economists wished to vastly increase the supply and consumption of coal, but that their policy recommendations differed. These divergences depended on their different perceptions of Spain’s energy autonomy and on their position within the free-trade versus protectionism debate. The paper draws parallels with today’s energy transition, in particular related to dependency on foreign fuel, as well as the commercial and industrial policies.
