Understanding the AI-JETT Framework
A simple explanation of how we can diagnose and fix electricity systems to make them reliable, affordable, and fair for everyone.
What is a Taxonomy Framework?
The organizing principle behind AI-JETT
A taxonomy framework is simply a structured way of organizing and classifying complex things into meaningful categories so that people can understand them better. In many fields, taxonomies help experts analyze complicated systems by grouping similar characteristics together.
Biology Example
Classifies animals into mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish based on shared characteristics.
Finance Example
Classifies companies into industries like technology, healthcare, or energy for analysis.
AI-JETT Framework
Classifies electricity systems by asking what type exists and how well it performs.
Instead of simply asking "Does a country have electricity?" the framework asks: "What type of electricity system exists and how well does it perform?"
What Problem Does It Address?
The gap in current energy planning approaches
Energy planning around the world often focuses mainly on electricity supply—whether there is enough generation capacity and whether the grid can deliver power. However, this approach misses two critical issues: affordability and fairness.
As a result, many countries develop electricity systems that are technically operational but socially problematic:
Too Expensive
Reliable electricity that is too expensive for poor households to actually use.
Unreliable
Cheap electricity that is unreliable and experiences frequent outages.
Unsustainable
Subsidized electricity systems that become financially unsustainable over time.
How the Framework Solves This
A three-dimensional evaluation system
The AI-JETT framework introduces a three-dimensional evaluation system. Instead of analyzing electricity supply alone, it evaluates energy systems based on three core factors simultaneously:
Availability
Whether electricity is physically available and reliable for users.
Affordability
Whether households and businesses can realistically afford the electricity.
Equity
Whether access to electricity is fair across different population groups.
The Five Typologies:
What Makes It Unique?
Key innovations of the AI-JETT framework
The framework is unique because it combines three fields that are usually treated separately:
Energy Justice
Fairness in energy systems
System Planning
Infrastructure & reliability
Artificial Intelligence
Data analysis & decisions
Affordability as Core Metric
Treated as a core planning metric rather than a secondary concern.
Simultaneous Evaluation
Energy systems evaluated across all three dimensions at once.
AI-Powered Decision Support
Artificial intelligence positioned as a policy decision-support tool.
Diagnostic Taxonomy
Structured classification that governments can use to diagnose electricity systems.
The Bottom Line
In simple terms, the AI-JETT taxonomy acts like a diagnostic system for electricity networks. Just as doctors classify diseases before prescribing treatment, this framework classifies electricity systems so that governments can design energy transitions that are technically reliable, affordable for citizens, and socially fair.