Since the middle of the 80s, particularly in Europe, the public energy R&D expenditures have noticeably slowed down. Meanwhile, the European deregulation of energy network activities and the consecutive restructuring of energy sectors has led companies to significantly reduce their R&D investments. What will be the consequences of the public and private declines in energy R&D on the output of new technical knowledge? We suggest that the private energy R&D restructuring might in the long term favour the exploitation strategies of companies to the detriment of their exploration strategies. We also examine whether specific incentives – intended to correct the present trend of energy R&D – have been and or should be implemented by the leading European countries.