ABSTRACT
Energy planning, like all forms of planning, is a process. One of the major aims of this process is to ensure that adequate primary sources of energy are available to meet the need for energy services such as transport, heat and power. But energy cannot be planned in isolation. It has linkages with the rest of the economy. Indeed, energy provision is often seen as the key to economic development. But the energy sector also has complex interlinkages between various subsectors within it. There may be conflicts within the sector on both demand and supply sides. One object of energy planning is therefore to optimize the use of the various fuels available in the range of economic sectors that constitute the demand. Another objective is to allow and plan for the development of energy resources in a balanced way, over time. Yet another aim is increasingly becoming to encourage energy efficiency and promote energy conservation. In recent years also there has been an increased awareness of the necessity of including environmental protection as one of the major factors constraining the pattern of energy use.
