Abstract: By using “energy curse hypothesis” instead of “resource curse hypothesis ”,this paper constructs an index which shows the true abundances of natural resources in Hunan Province and makes an empirical analysis on the relationship between its resource advantage and economic growth.It shows that in the long run,the effect of “resource curse” did exist in Hunan Province,but it was obvious in the first phase from 1985 to 1995,while in the second phase from 1996 to 2010,the effect of “resource curse” weakened significantly.Whether or not Hunan can finally get rid of the effect of “resource curse” depends on its ability to strengthen market-oriented science and technological innovation and promote the formation of human capital.

Key words: energy curse, resource curse, economic growth, opening, scientific and technological innovation, human capital