Energy literacy is a broad term encompassing content knowledge as well as a citizenship understanding of energy that includes affective and behavioral aspects. This article presents explicit criteria that will serve as a foundation for developing measurable objectives for energy literacy in three dimensions: cognitive (knowledge, cognitive skills), affective (attitude, values, personal responsibility); and behavioral. The outcome of this research is a framework from which a quantitative survey of energy literacy for secondary students in New York State, United States, can be created. Efforts supported by this research may help assess the broader impacts of educational programs in terms of their effectiveness for improving students' energy literacy. (Contains 2 tables, 1 figure and 1 note.)