This policy brief should be read in conjunction with the Concept Note on Poverty-Environment-Energy. The Concept Note establishes the linkages between energy, poverty and the environment specifically in the Rwandan case. However, establishing linkages between sectors and national priorities does not provide a strategy for implementing solutions. What is needed is an energy planning methodology which considers all energy resources and includes environmental and poverty considerations and priorities.
This paper suggests a methodology for combining integrated energy planning with integrated resource planning to order to make optimal use of energy resources in a sustainable way.
Integrated energy planning may be defined as a planning process which aims for a least-cost development path for the energy sector to guide policy-making and implementation where 'least cost' very clearly refers to broad economic cost rather than direct financial cost. Integrated energy planning is therefore targeting optimal efficiency in the energy sector, and encompasses broader concerns of the entire economy in addition to ‘least financial cost’ considerations.