Energy planning : local framework towards sustainability

This study analyzed the sustainable development issues associated with energy planning. Energy planning was identified as a local framework of sustainability which has a global significance. This study started by examining the concept of sustainability in its historical context, and attempted to extract the applicable sustainable development conceptual framework for urban planning. Next, the linkage between sustainable city planning and energy issues was reviewed to see how energy planning can be a tool for local sustainable development. The majority of this study is an examination of case studies which specifically address the issue of energy tied to the concept of local sustainability. Three cities; the City of Portland, Oregon; the City of San Francisco, California; and the City of San Jose, California, engaged in a "Sustainable City Project", were used for the case studies.

The findings indicate that the sustainable development concept and energy planning can be linked. A planning process that links energy with community issues enables the development of an energy program based on principles of sustainability which encompass environmental issues, social equity, quality of life, and economic concerns. Energy can work as a catalyst to tie all these factors together. However, the achievement of sustainable cities will require continued research, new tools and technology, and intergovernmental, business, and public cooperation.