The energy transition becomes feasible when decisions regarding renewable energy development are consistent with spatial realities and territorial constraints, while their implications are also evaluated at the level of the energy system as a whole. Despite the rapid expansion of studies on GIS-based renewable energy potential assessment and energy system modeling, the mechanisms through which these two streams of research converge have not yet been systematically articulated. This study adopts a comparative approach to examine the patterns of evolution, degree of maturity, collaboration structure, and conceptual pathways of these two domains and to identify points at which spatial analysis can be connected to system-level energy planning. Bibliographic data from articles indexed in the Scopus database between 2011 and 2026 were extracted into two independent datasets and analyzed using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix. The first dataset comprised 8,277 documents and 250,254 citations in the field of spatial assessment and renewable energy potential evaluation, while the second comprised 1,536 documents and 62,552 citations in the field of energy system modeling and planning. The findings showed that the spatial stream is broader and more diverse in terms of knowledge production, whereas the system-oriented stream has a higher average citation impact and relatively faster growth. In the first domain, concepts such as GIS, site selection, multi-criteria decision-making, solar and wind energy, sustainability, and land-use constraints constitute the core of the research network. In the second domain, energy transition, decarbonization, scenario analysis, energy storage, sector coupling, smart grids, and energy communities are prominent. The comparative analysis revealed that a fundamental gap in the literature is the absence of a clear data flow from “spatially developable capacity” to “implementable energy system scenarios.” Accordingly, the main contribution of this study is the development of an interpretive framework for translating GIS outputs and suitability assessment results into inputs for energy system models and establishing reciprocal feedback from system-level results to spatial priorities. Such integration can improve the quality of decision-making, enhance the realism of decarbonization scenarios, and improve the coordination of investments in grids, energy storage, and infrastructure. Because the 2026 records were incomplete at the time of data retrieval, the results for this year should be interpreted with caution.