EU plans to move towards a low-carbon economy depend upon a transformed cross-border transmissions system that can integrate renewables and smart meters alike, offering energy consumption savings at source. But is Europe on track to meet the challenge?

urope currently relies for the transmission of its electricity on a grid system that was substantially designed in the post-World War II period. Power grids in the 20th century were originally built as local grids which over time became augmented and inter-connected.