Journal profile · Environmental Sciences
Energy Policy
ISSN 0301-4215 · eISSN 1873-6777 · Elsevier BV · ENGLAND · Monthly · Founded 1973
Energy Policy: CAS Zone 2 · Economics (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 9.22; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,940; review about 168 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: easy; 479 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Energy Policy is published by Elsevier BV and is in Zone 2 of Economics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Energy, Environment, and Transportation Policies, Climate Change Policy and Economics and Energy and Environment Impacts, together about 29.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The International Journal of the Political, Economic, Planning, Environmental and Social Aspects of EnergyEnergy Policy is an international peer-reviewed journal addressing the policy implications of energy supply and use from their economic, social, planning and environmental aspects. Papers may cover global, regional, national, or even local topics that are of wider policy significance, and of interest to international agencies, governments, public and private sector entities, local communities and non-governmental organisations. Within this broad spectrum, topics of particular interest include energy and environmental regulation, energy supply security, the quality and efficiency of energy services, the effectiveness of market-based approaches and/or governmental interventions, technological innovation and diffusion, and voluntary initiatives where the broader policy implications can be recognised. Policy prescriptions are required to be supported by rigorous analysis and balanced appraisal.Given the aims and scope of Energy Policy, all submitted papers should explicitly address policy issues involving energy supply or use.This journal welcomes contributions that support and advance the UN's sustainable development goals, in particular SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy).Special issue proposals Prospective guest editor(s) should submit written proposals that incorporate the rationale for the special issue topic, positions it in the literature, and include some illustrative topics and proposed contributors. Guest Editors should complete and submit this Special Issue Proposal template to be considered for publication in the Journal.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Environmental Sciences
Editor-in-chief Stephen D. ThomasPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 9 in mainland China (about 15%); most named United States 12, Mainland China 9, United Kingdom 6, India 3, France 3 (60 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Energy, Environment, and Transportation PoliciesEnergy12.2%
- Climate Change Policy and EconomicsEconomics, Econometrics and Finance9.1%
- Energy and Environment ImpactsEnvironmental Science8.6%
- Environmental Impact and SustainabilityEnvironmental Science7.5%
- Global Energy and Sustainability ResearchEnergy6.6%
- Energy, Environment, Economic GrowthEconomics, Econometrics and Finance6.4%
- Social Acceptance of Renewable EnergySocial Sciences4.8%
- Electric Power System OptimizationEngineering4.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Economics Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Energy & Fuels | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Economics Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Energy & Fuels | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Economics Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Energy & Fuels | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 9.22LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 9.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 19.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 19.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.52LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.1LetPub ·
- h-index
- 178LetPub ·
- h-index
- 359OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 12,792OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 8.31OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 42.73%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 447LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 17,485 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 501 | 280 | 485 |
| 2025 | 479 | 251 | 3,159 |
| 2024 | 427 | 227 | 8,044 |
| 2023 | 476 | 225 | 14,607 |
| 2022 | 535 | 245 | 24,067 |
| 2021 | 566 | 227 | 31,548 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
168 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 4 months
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 4 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 30 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 78 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 168 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 11 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,940 / EUR 3,690 / GBP 3,150 / JPY 488,680 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,360 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted11, with length limits
- commentComment Up to 2,000 words. A Comment may critique a recently published paper in the journal.Length not stated
- full length articlesFull Length Articles Normally 4,500-8,000 words. The editors will consider papers of exceptional merit up to 10,000 words.Length not stated
- invited review articlesInvited Review Articles By invitation only; maximum of 10,000 words.Length not stated
- letterEnergy Policy considers the following types of papers for publication:Full Length Articles Normally 4,500-8,000 words. The editors will consider papers of excep…Length not stated
- original paperEnergy Policy considers the following types of papers for publication:Full Length Articles Normally 4,500-8,000 words. The editors will consider papers of excep…Length not stated
- original researchEnergy Policy considers the following types of papers for publication:Full Length Articles Normally 4,500-8,000 words. The editors will consider papers of excep…Length not stated
- perspectiveEnergy Policy considers the following types of papers for publication:Full Length Articles Normally 4,500-8,000 words. The editors will consider papers of excep…main text ≤ 6,000 words
- policy perspectivesPolicy Perspectives Up to 6,000 words. A Policy Perspective is a relatively short contribution that offers judgment on an energy policy issue-normally without o…Length not stated
- research notesResearch Notes Less than 4,500 words. Research Notes should present fully realized research but are shorter in length than Full Length Articles.Length not stated
- reviewEnergy Policy considers the following types of papers for publication:Full Length Articles Normally 4,500-8,000 words. The editors will consider papers of excep…Length not stated
- review articleEnergy Policy considers the following types of papers for publication:Full Length Articles Normally 4,500-8,000 words. The editors will consider papers of excep…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
1 to 7 keywords required Model summary
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data availability statement required Model summary
To foster transparency, you are required to state the availability of any data at submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Elsevier Publishing Ethics Policy Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed, not prior publication Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1973
- ISSN
- 0301-4215
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-6777
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Energy Policy
What CAS zone is Energy Policy in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Energy Policy is in Zone 2 of Economics, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Economics / Energy & Fuels / Environmental Sciences / Environmental Studies; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Economics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Energy Policy?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 9.22; CiteScore 19.3, h-index 359.
How long does peer review take at Energy Policy?
The publisher reports about 168 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 4 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Energy Policy?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Energy Policy based?
Of the 60 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 9 (about 15%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (12), Mainland China (9) and United Kingdom (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Energy Policy?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Energy Policy is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Is Energy Policy open access, and what is the APC?
Energy Policy is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,940.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .