Benefits

The projects resulting from the SmartGrids vision will stimulate innovation in new network and associated information technologies. The benefits of new technologies will have a positive effect for European citizens and for international business. Job opportunities will be broadened as the networks require workers with new skills and integration across new technology areas.

SmartGrids will help achieve sustainable development. Links will be strengthened across Europe and with other countries where different but complementary renewable resources are to be found. An increasingly liberalised market will encourage trading opportunities to be identified and developed. SmartGrids networks will, in addition to electricity flows, establish a two-way flow of information between supplier and user.

For a successful transition to a future sustainable energy system all the relevant stakeholders must become involved: governments, regulators, consumers, generators, traders, power exchanges, transmission companies, distribution companies, power equipment manufactures and ICT providers. Coordination at regional, national and European levels is essential and the SmartGrids European Technology Platform has been designed to facilitate this process.