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== The Past: Distributing energy the traditional way ==
While energy production reliant on coal and other fossil fuels got less over the last 20 years and the percentage of renewables in the EU's energy mix is steadily increasing, the long-awaited energy revolution has yet to arrive and the EU's amount of energy production is decreasing as a whole.
<ref>http://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/2014_energy_market_en.pdf</ref><br />
Energy distribution systems are traditionally centralised and one-directional: A power plant of any kind generates the energy that is then transmitted. Distribution systems then proceed to, as their name would suggest, distribute the energy to the consumers.<ref>http://www.edsoforsmartgrids.eu/home/why-smart-grids/</ref>
Nowadays electricity also tends to take over other forms of energy as well, as shown by the rising popularity of electric cars. This may accelerate the ever-growing demand for energy even further.
On the infrastructure side of things, the ageing energy infrastructure of most Member States should also be taken into consideration. This stands in stark contrast with many modern energy-related technologies such as smart grids, renewable energy sources as well as energy trading systems.<br />
With decreasing EU energy production but increasing demand and consumption, geopolitical issues such as the EU-Russia tensions that have significant influence on fossil fuel imports into the European Union gain relevance.
