RENEWABLE ENERGY PLANNING UNDER UNCERTAINTY: A SUSTAINABILITY-ORIENTED MULTICRITERIA FRAMEWORK FOR PLANT SITE SELECTION

Renewable energy plant site selection is a critical stage of energy planning, as it directly influences both generation capacity and the potential socioeconomic co-benefits of investments. To support more equitable and resilient decision-making, this process should account for the uncertainty associated with renewable resources and for explicit sustainability goals. In this context, this study proposes a framework for site selection that combines probabilistic energy simulations with a multicriteria pipeline aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a result, the approach produces a probability distribution of candidate site rankings rather than deterministic estimates. The case study, applied to \textit{Rio Grande do Norte}, with 167 candidate municipalities for wind farm installation, validated the approach's relevance. The probabilistic indicator reclassified half of the top 10 municipalities after incorporating SDG-related criteria, highlighting locations that balance energy potential with broader regional benefits.