So far, the construction of the EU grid concept is still stuck in the traditional large power plants produce electricity through the transmission grid power supply to the passive users, but the sustained and rapid development of renewable energy sources, the EU to become more "intelligent" grid, thus to avoid the transmission grid instability or even collapse. Smart grid by taking the convenience of renewable energy (such as wind, photovoltaic power generation, etc.) access to the transmission grid measures to maximize the use of renewable energy resources, while the interconnected transmission grid transformation can better optimize the allocation of resources, energy conservation sell their excess power and two-way linkage to facilitate the user's electricity consumption (). Therefore, the traditional transmission grid intelligent re-transformation process, the need for a series of complex adaptive power supply and demand market design, organization, adjustment and technical engineering, emerging cross a lot of R & D and innovation activities, promote the transmission grid and distribution network is more stable, more reliable and intelligent. This implies the need to accelerate progress in the development of information and communication technology (ICT) in the transmission grid, such as sensors, digital equipment, automatic control technology and information transfer network technology. 　　

EU Seventh R & D Framework Programme (FP7) funded smart grid technology development and application projects support the current R & D projects mainly in the following three areas:

The electricity consumer users with two-way transmission grid connection technology to meet the electricity demand of the users of two-way selection of the transmission grid electricity supply and demand, to strengthen the transmission grid for indirect electricity production management technology research, compensation and reward technology development of the electrical energy stored user .
 

To improve grid energy efficiency technologies, renewable energy access to the transmission grid technology, wider transmission grid networking technology (between member states grid electricity price difference), transmission priority renewable energy cross-border exchange of technology.
 

ICT transmission grid application technology, new energy storage technologies, clean coal technologies and carbon capture and storage technology, cities, buildings, traffic intelligence technology, electric vehicle charging facilities and fuel cell technology.