It
already is being discussed seriously by energy ministers
on 5 continents (Africa, North America, South America,
Europe, Asia). In the early 1990s, there were 50
nations that traded electricity across borders.
Today there are 100 nations with bilateral interconnections.
This
is exceptional growth, when you consider the requirements
of international links: cooperative engineering,
international finance, treaties signed, and then
construction. Yet the grids of 100 nations remain
isolated.
Many
projects which have been planned for a decade are
now progressing: the Central American link (SIEPAC),
the Gulf States Cooperation Council (Middle East),
the ASEAN network of SE Asia, and the South African
Development Council (SADC).
