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Cuts and delays to investment in Europe's energy infrastructure caused by the financial crisis and the recession will weaken future energy security and undermine the fight against climate change, a leading consultancy has warned.

"Investor-owned electric utilities and stand-alone transmission companies invested a record $37.7 billion in transmission and distribution infrastructure in 2013, according to new survey results released this month by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI)."

"addressing bottlenecks in the energy, mining and power sectors; * increasing investment to help close India's major infrastructure gaps; "

"In the first of a series of exclusive articles, James Gordon explores the latest developments in V2G systems and asks if the technology has the power to reshape global electricity distribution networks.…. It is the world's largest consumer of energy(1), and with over half of China's 1.3 billion population choosing to live in its sprawling and gridlocked super-cities, the demand for power has never been greater. But ensuring that the 680 million who live in China's megalopolises receive a steady stream of electricity is no easy task. However, while the solution - to install a network of long distance super-grids - has proved to be effective, it has come at great cost. This highly innovative smart grid infrastructure that the State Grid Corporation of China, has been specially designed to transmit ultra-high-voltage-direct-current (UHVDC) at over 600,000 volts to China's main population centres from rural areas rich in energy(2). America, India, Germany and Brazil are also incorporating UHDVC lines into their grids, but Britain, whose population is expected to grow from 64,875,165 (2015) to 77,568,588 by 2050(3), is only in the early stages of exploring the potential of the technology according to the Energy Networks Association. And while the UK's Utility giants may yet decide to invest billions of pounds in these high-tech super grids, a fully functioning next-generation Battery Electric Vehicle to Grid (V2G) charging system, located in Birmingham, the UK's second city, may mean they never need to. But how could this potentially game-changing technology, which has been installed at Aston University's European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI), one day save the National Grid and the tax-payer billions of pounds?"

As part of ongoing restructuring efforts, Japanese wire and cable maker Hitachi Cables, which focuses on the areas of electricity and information transmission, announced on 13th November that it will merge with sister company Hitachi Metals. Hitachi Metals manufactures functional materials in the automobiles, electronics and industrial infrastructure sectors according to a joint statement. The merged company will concentrate on "producing synergies" and expanding overseas sales, concentrating on "industrial and information infrastructure and automobile and electronics-related industries". The Hitachi Group as a whole has a target of generating 50% of sales outside of Japan, a figure which Hitachi Cables has yet to reach.