<p>The present research emphasizes a detailed analysis of electric power systems by considering various economic and ecological impacts. Traditional assessments have focused mainly on economic indicators and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as the leading environmental parameters. However, this research offers a more extended context by applying the ECO99 methodology, which allows for subtlety in an environmental impact analysis. The two methodologies are compared using data from Mexico’s electric power infrastructure. Significant discrepancies show up in ECO99 (1100–1800%), total annual cost (0.1–5%), and GHG emissions (0.1–2%). The results demonstrate a distinct “low-cost sustainability” potential: A significant improvement of 1100–1800% in ECO99 damage categories is achievable with a marginal increase of only 0.1–5% in the total annual cost (TAC). This suggests that environmental benefits are available at a near-negligible economic penalty. By integrating the ECO99 methodology with traditional assessments, this inquiry provides decision-makers and energy stakeholders with a multidimensional framework for sustainable energy strategizing. The findings emphasize the need to integrate economic and environmental metrics to facilitate holistic informed decision-making and to create a foundation for future studies, which will target optimizing energy systems in light of sustainability goals.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>