Net energy as an energy planning tool

If energy be considered the physical driving force of a developed or developing economy, a distinction must be made between primary energy sources and the net amount of useful fuel entering the economy. For a given end-use quality, the amount of primary energy required per unit of useful fuel delivered offers a logical allocation mechanism for an economy which wishes to use its energy sources in the least wasteful way. By extending the concept of energy requirement per unit of output to all sectors through the discipline of energy analysis, one can model an entire economy in net energy terms. This process, which has been carried out for national carrying capacity studies through the development of the ECCO (Enhancement of Carrying Capacity Options) model, offers a means of energy planning without resource to optimization or assumptions as to future energy prices. The paper describes an application of the method to a developing economy.