Selecting sustainable energy development pathways is crucial, not only for securing ample future energy resources but also for environmental preservation, climate change mitigation, and fostering a sustainably developed society. Numerous studies have employed Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods to rank sustainable energy development options. This research utilizes the CURLI method to rank and identify the optimal choice among eight sustainable energy development alternatives. CURLI is an MCDM technique that eliminates the need for users to assign weights to criteria. The findings indicate that the top-ranked option identified by CURLI aligns with those obtained from other MCDM methods. Among the eight sustainable energy alternatives examined, hydropower, geothermal power, biomass energy, wind power, photovoltaic solar energy, concentrated solar thermal power, advanced coal-based technology, and oil-fueled power plants, geothermal energy emerged as the most favorable for development. The application of the CURLI method simplifies the process by removing the complexities associated with determining criteria weights, which are often encountered in other MCDM approaches.