The Russian power system is diversified regionally and consists of one Unified Power System (UPS) and multiple isolated power systems. In the Russian Federation the policy on the use of renewable energies has been one of the most debated topics in recent years. In 2010, the Russian Renewable Energy Program was launched which aims to generate 4.5% of the entire electricity demand from renewable energy sources by 2020. These energy resources can significantly contribute to both the reduction of electricity generation costs in the Isolated Power Systems (IPS) and to the creation of new job opportunities. In this study an innovative methodology for the planning of isolated power systems is presented. The methodology is based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and on the software program HOMER Energy (R). It considers the economic, social and environmental criteria for the optimal planning of isolated systems. A case study related to a small Siberian isolated power system is analyzed. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.