Indicators of energy sustainability: a tool to support the formulation of more sustainable energy policies

Abstract

Sustainable energy policies must be developed with the aim of contributing to energy sustainability, which involves guaranteeing the generation, transmission, distribution and use of energy for the multiple types of users. Energy indicators are tools that assess important variables of the energy system and can provide information to support decision-making capable of generating more sustainable energy policies. This article aims to propose a set of energy indicators in the perspective of specific dimensions of energy sustainability. These indicators are useful for the process of formulation and implementation of policies and energy planning for a given territorial space and temporal scope. The proposal of the indicators of energy sustainability was developed from a bibliometric study, to identify indicators related to: access to energy, energy efficiency and matrix diversification. The indicators of the final set were allocated based on three dimensions: access to energy, matrix diversification and energy efficiency. These indicators present definitions, criteria and contributory parameters for the formulation and implementation of energy policies and plans capable of making the process more sustainable in diverse contexts and contingencies.