Planning and Management of a Power Line Network: Forecasting and Controlling the Demand

New political objectives are today added to those of energy independence: the fight against climate change; energy markets’ liberalisation; the intensification of the land-use planning policy and decentralization. In this context, massive changes of the electric system organization occur. Thus, demand is becoming a key issue with regard to network management, and it will have to be forecast, planned, and increasingly controlled. The energy services scheme is useful to set up and to follow consistent actions aimed at decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, notably because it involves local support. Demand side management and decentralized production are conceived as alternatives or complements to infrastructure development projects. The Boutre-Carros project, in the south-east of France, is a case of integration of that kind of actions. At the same time, local authorities, and more specifically regions, show a wish to play a part in energetic choices. This increasing involvement of regions in a field so far “state reserved,” reflects the necessity to plan renewable energies locally, under European impulse.