This paper, in the first step, presents an overview of the origination and formulation of sustainable development (SD) concept and the related policy making frameworks. The frameworks include Pressure-State-Response (PSR), Driving Force-State-Response (DSR), Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR), Driving Force-Pressure-State-Effect-Action (DPSEA) and Driving Force-Pressure-State-Exposure-Effect-Action (DPSEEA). In this regard, 40 case studies using the reviewed frameworks reported during 1994-2011 are surveyed. Then, their application area and application intensity are investigated. It is concluded that PSR, and DPSEA & DPSEEA have the higher and lower application intensities, respectively. Moreover, using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with a set of criteria, it is shown that PSR and DPSIR have the highest and lowest priorities. Finally, the shortcomings of frameworks applications are discussed. The paper is helpful in selecting appropriate policy making frameworks and presents some hints for future research in the area for developing more comprehensive models especially for sustainable electric energy policy making. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.