Numerous energy policy proposals are being articulated and advanced that vary along many dimensions, including problem definition, disciplinary origination and focus, scope, scale, and comprehensiveness. This paper provides a framework that evaluates the wide range of energy proposals and transcends the particular approach used in a specific proposal. Proposals, if they are to be successful, must be examined within the context of the world energy system (WES), which is a complex, large-scale, integrated, open, sociotechnical system with sunk assets subject to uncertainty and the response to incentives of consumers and producers. Several categories are proposed in order to classify energy policies. Using this categorization scheme and the concept of a WES, generic limitations of various energy policies can be identified. They are the comprehensiveness, boundary, and feedback problems. The result is that policymakers have a tool to classify, understand, and critique energy proposals, enhancing their ability to evaluate them, and analysts have a framework to guide their work.