FACT SHEET Software name: Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP)

This fact sheet describes the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP), a software tool developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute for energy policy analysis and climate change mitigation assessment. It outlines the software's capabilities in integrated modelling, scenario analysis, and decision support, noting its widespread adoption by government agencies, academics, and NGOs in over 150 countries.

• LEAP is an integrated modelling tool used to track energy consumption, production, and resource extraction across all economic sectors. It accounts for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission sources and sinks in both energy and non-energy sectors, and can also analyze local and regional air pollutants to study climate co-benefits.
• The software is designed for medium to long-term modelling, typically utilizing forecast periods of 20 to 50 years. It allows for yearly intervals, user-defined "time slices" for seasons or specific times of day, and the creation of multiple forward-looking scenarios alongside historical data replication.
• LEAP supports both demand-side methodologies, such as stock-turnover, and supply-side methodologies, such as capacity expansion planning. It operates at two levels: built-in calculations for standard energy, emissions, and cost-benefit accounting, and a level where users can create sophisticated multi-variable models with time-varying data.
• The software has been adopted by hundreds of organisations in more than 150 countries. Notably, over 85 countries use LEAP to fulfill reporting commitments to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• LEAP has influenced specific national and subnational policies: the Chinese Energy Research Institute used it to explore reducing carbon intensity; the Natural Resources Defense Council in the US used it for national fuel economy standards; the state of Rhode Island used it for GHG mitigation monitoring; and the Philippines' Department of Energy used it for National Energy Plans.

APA

Heaps, C. (2008). FACT SHEET Software name: Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP). Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/leap.pdf

Chicago

Heaps, Charlie. FACT SHEET Software name: Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP). Stockholm Environment Institute, 2008. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/leap.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Heaps |first1=Charlie |title=FACT SHEET Software name: Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP) |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2008 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/leap.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{heaps2008fact, author = {Heaps, Charlie}, title = {{FACT SHEET Software name: Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP)}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2008}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/leap.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }