Scenarios have become an influential tool in the process of energy system transitions, as they form a basis for, e.g., investment decisions or legislative frameworks. In this respect, researchers have recently focused on the technological viability of normative targets (e.g., emissions reduction). Beyond that sufficient condition, experience has shown that missing social acceptance may serve as a severe hurdle to the actual implication. Furthermore, the functional principles of the surrounding political system may prove inconsistent with the scenario's assumptions or implications. As a contribution to scenario methodology, this paper presents an analytic framework with a focus on the German energy transition. Accounting for transparency, social acceptance and political feasibility, future energy scenarios might be inclined to be more mindful of societal limitations. These hurdles may range from subjectively ascribed characteristics of the energy system to political veto-players. While the analytic framework is applied, it is not limited to the four recent energy scenarios published by German public actors. This study's results highlight the need for an advanced scenario construction process, which becomes eminent given that the emphasis is currently moving from if an energy transition is possible to how this goal can be achieved.