In recent decades, investment in and transition towards new and renewable energy sources have gained significant importance. This objective is also one of the prioritized emphases within Iran's general energy policies. Diversifying energy sources and reducing dependence on fossil fuels can substantially impact the economic resilience of countries, in addition to environmental consequences. This issue holds particular importance for developing countries, such as Iran, which face multifaceted shocks. Utilizing the Panel Smooth Transition Regression (PSTR) method on 119 developing countries over the period 2002–2021, this study examines the impact of renewable energy on economic resilience. The findings indicate that renewable energy, financial depth, and information and communication technology (ICT) have a positive and significant impact on resilience, whereas government size and natural resource rent exhibit negative effects. The nonlinear PSTR analysis revealed that in countries with low resource rent, the positive effects of renewable energy, financial development, and ICT are considerably stronger, and the negative effect of government size is more severe. However, in countries with high natural resource rent, renewable energy becomes virtually ineffective, the impact of financial development and ICT is weakened, the detrimental effect of government is moderated, and the resource curse intensifies. In light of these results, policymakers in low-rent countries should focus on reducing government size and investing in renewable energy, green banking, and digital infrastructure. In countries with high natural resource rent, managing rent through sovereign wealth funds, transparency in extraction contracts, and subsidy reforms is essential.