Grid development in france and in Europe: The new paradigm

This paper provides a brief overview of the new paradigm of the grid development in France and Europe under political impetus of ensuring the move towards a low-carbon electricity future. A new wave of grid development is required, especially in order to integrate large amounts of nondispatchable renewable to the grid. This requires a new increase in investments in transmission grids. Yet furthering network development in Western societies is more and more difficult due to strong social oppositions, which urges grid operators to imagine new solutions and to optimise the use of existing infrastructure. This paradigm shift for transmission development is discussed in the paper.