In 1979, the Interdisciplinary Energy Area (AIE) was created at COPPE as a joint initiative of the Programs of Systems Engineering, Production Engineering and Nuclear Engineering. In January, 1992, former AIE became an independent program within COPPE and was called the Energy Planning Program (PPE). Recently, the PPE started to deepen its research in an immediately related study area: Environmental Planning.

Nowadays, the PPE has established itself as a center of excellence and the largest Brazilian group of graduate research and teaching in its area.