Europe must have the intelligence of its networks

Since the beginning of the 20th century, electricity networks have been structured essentially one-dimensional. Electrical current was the production unit to the consumer, in a growing space as national connections and interconnections between countries, the overall management of the supply-demand being guaranteed by a regional or national operator balance. This traditional model is changing, and the opening of markets, combined with the rise of renewable energy, now opens the way for intelligent networks, combining uses, in which the diversity of sources of production and the active participation of consumers will be favoured.

The power of the future will be produced by "traditional" power plants, but also by more and more decentralized systems and intermittent (wind, photovoltaic, cells die hydrogen fuel...); and these various systems will be integrated and shared by network operators, who will have a strategic role to play in this technological revolution.

Side user, promises to be another mutation, because the networks will be at the heart of the new technologies of energy demand management. To respond to the development of electric vehicles, they will tomorrow allow recharge, night, batteries that are found, which will substantially alter the electrical "cycle" of our country. Each consumer has, moreover, in the future a "smart meter" to carry out, individually and in real time, all timely arbitrations, whether environmental or economic. The intelligence of the network will thus be characterized by the supply of electricity and information. Here also, an "aggregator of information" will be useful both to balance all of the electrical system and ensure the quality of operation, at any moment.

This revolution will be everywhere in the world, in the heart of developments in transport and electricity distribution companies. The European Commission has just published to remarks a "report on the strategic deployment of future European electrical networks" and conveniently recommends that the technology of intelligent networks enrols in the strategic technology Plan for energy (Strategic Energy Technology Plan or SET Plan). In my view, it is a priority for the new Commission and the new European Parliament, who will take office next year, because if such that the objective of 20 of renewable energies in the total consumption of the Union is reached by 2020, must be imperatively by that network electric Europeans have deployed intelligent networks key components.

This topic is also one of the priorities of the new American Presidency. Barack Obama has clearly indicated its willingness to invest in intelligent networks, "smart grids", and overwhelmingly support the use of smart meters and advanced technologies during his campaign. Its purpose, such as the European Union, is to have a network more secure, able to welcome more renewable energy and offering consumers better energy choices. Upgrading of the commission should thus be implemented as early as the beginning of 2009, with Steven Chu, new US Secretary of State for energy, to extend the practices of intelligent networks in the United States. Special funds will be allocated to support investments in these intelligent networks and develop the most advanced technologies. Democrats hope that these resources benefit especially in urban areas the more congested and vulnerable, as well as to rural areas where a significant share of renewable energy. With the "green revolution" on renewable energy, Barack Obama thus committed a radical transformation of the operation of the electric economy American. The European Union must earnestly pursue its work in this area because there is no doubt a worthy of the emergence of the Internet technology essential mutation that should be absolutely accompany, and win, the industrial plan. Europe must have the intelligence of its networks!