Normative Dimensions of Sustainable Energy Policy

Drawing a link between energy policy and sustainable development, this paper explores the normative dimensions of policy analysis that inform energy sector decision-making, and how these norms fall short of incorporating adequate considerations of sustainability. The discussion focuses on the obligations that our present generation has to conserve for future generations, the decision of which discount rate to use, and the importance of citizen-oriented preferences in economic valuation. This analysis concludes with the claim that if sustainability insights are applied to conventional methods of approaching these issues, we may be better prepared to address issues that are unconventional and complex, such as those involving the production and use of energy resources.