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{{cquote|Energy as a commons? With paradigms , new markets and opportunities arising with digitalising in the energy sector and democratising means of production and distribution, how can regulation be designed in such a way that energy systems in these markets are equitable and ensure participation across society?}}
The Committee on Regional development in Heidelberg will focus on the power shift from '''centralised to decentralised''' distribution systems. With EU citizens' growing awareness of '''environmental issues''', new '''technological developments''' and '''[[Smart_grid|smart power grids]]''' on the horizon, a shift towards a distributed system that includes consumers and turns them into co-producers is a possible future for Europe's energy union. There are many challenges that have to be met before such a transfer can take place: The '''liberalisation''' of the energy market is still not fully implemented and few investments are in place to fund distributed systems. Moreover, the data recorded through power grids raises questions concerning '''data storage''' and '''protection''' and there is currently no strategy on who would regulate a European-wide power grid and how. Finally, many citizens seem to be “energy illiterate”, lacking the necessary knowledge to participate in a new decentralised system. To overcome these obstacles and ensure a bright future for distributed systems in the energy union is what REGI will cover in committee work and resolution.<br />
== The Past: Distributing energy the traditional way ==
While energy production reliant on coal and other fossil fuels decreased 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 start 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>Especially in times where demand and consumption are still steadily increasing, this become more and more of a problem.
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[[File:Traditional Power Grid.JPG|thumb|The traditional power grid]]
=== The societal dimension ===
In the current system, the user is a passive consumer, always dependent on utility companies and ignorant of how the energy system works. Costs ultimately As it is uncertain whether benefits would outweigh the benefits as of now costs for consumers and the liberalisation of the energy market is still ongoing. On the question whether a possible European-wide power grid should also be regulated on a European level, opinions are divided. On top of that, it is still uncertain how consumers are going to be motivated to become co-producers of energy, how the required knowledge about grid possibilities is spread as well as how the public can become involved in large-scale projects.
=== The technological dimension ===
*'''DSOs and TSOs'''
The roles and responsibilities DSOs and TSOs would have will change fundamentally when applying the smart grid idea and should therefore be taken into account.
*'''Energy service companies'''
With smart grids revolutionizing the energy market as we know it, the future of energy service companies is equally uncertain. What role they will play and especially what the regulatory framework around them should look like is to be defined.
== Measures in Place: What has been done ==
The Energy Union has become more and more important in the recent years. Its goal is it to ensure secure, affordable and climate-friendly energy across the EU.<ref>https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/energy-union-and-climate_en</ref>
In its energy and gas directives in 2009<ref>http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32009L0072&from=en</ref><ref>http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:211:0094:0136:en:PDF</ref>, the EU set fundamental rules for an internal energy market, revising and expanding another directive from 2003.<br />
The [[SET-Plan|European Strategic Energy Technology Plan]] (SET-Plan) aims to accelerate the development and deployment of low-carbon technologies. It seeks to improve new technologies and bring down costs by coordinating national research efforts and helping to finance projects.<br />
The [[Trans-European Energy Networks]] (TEN-E) – are programmes set up by the EU for the implementation of the European Single Market. The Trans-European Networks aim at "linking island, landlocked and peripheral regions with the central regions of the community”.
== Conclusion ==
Moving on from a past of the traditional power grids is hampered by various present obstacles such as distribution and transmission system operators as well as energy service companies stuck in the past, lacking knowledge of consumers and possible security risks. The rewards for a transfer towards smart power grids include an energy efficient, decentralised system that includes consumers as co-producers and pushed for the systematic decarbonisation of Europe's energy production.
== Links for further Research ==