The marginalist approach and the making of fuel policy in France and Britain, 1945–721

Focusing on the shift from coal to oil in the French and British economies between 1945 and 1972, this article analyses the influence of economists and economic concepts on fuel‐policy making in each economy. The framing of French fuel policy around marginalist principles from 1958 is examined, and the unusually direct influence of economists on policy making is ascribed to a mix of national security, industrial modernization, and political considerations.