The European Commission’s smart grid initiative has been launched. The European Electricity Grid Initiative (EEGI) proposes a nine year European research, development and demonstration program to be initiated by electricity transmission and distribution network operators to develop a next generation smart grid electricity network for Europe, which will deployed between 2010 to 2030. Its objectives are

Integration of renewable and distributed sources of electricity

Integration of national networks into a single European electricity market

Improved reliability of electricity supply

Customer participation

Support for electric vehicles

Efficiency

Business opportunities

The estimated cost for the nine-year period is € 2 billion with the financing being provided by the member states of the EU, the European Commission, and industry. The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) says that the European Commission supports the EEGI through its Seventh Framework Programme, but that the commitment of member states is necessary to support and fund the complete EEGI roadmap.

The roadmap for 2010-2018 and a detailed implementation plan for 2010-2012 have been published.