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== 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 outweigh the benefits as of now 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 ===
== 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 />