The energy transition is often narrowly described as the switch from carbon-based fuels to non-carbon fuels. But there is more to the energy transition than just carbon. One third of the people in the world today live in various states of energy, and associated economic, poverty. And the production of all energy at scale—fossil, nuclear and renewables—has environmental impacts. The successful energy transition will happen when all humans are lifted from poverty; when environmental impacts to land, water, local air and atmosphere are reduced; and when greenhouse gas emissions peak and roll over. This energy transition triad will require a non-partisan understanding of the science, technology, and economics of energy poverty, atmospheric greenhouse-gas reduction, large-scale land use and mining, energy density, resource extraction and development, regulation and policy, and more. To oversimplify is to underestimate. Rather than creating the false dichotomies of “good and bad,” “clean and dirty,” “believer and denier,” it is vital that the energy dialog seek compromise and convergence on workable solutions, which will vary by country and region.