6. Conclusion

The operation of distribution networks has undergone profound changes in recent years for at least 4 reasons:

• The safety of electricity distribution is a major challenge that demands ever-greater professionalism on the part of all those involved;

• the need for quality, which all electricity users expect, demands greater performance from the operator;

• major technical developments in both protection and control open the way to new tools;

• the rapid increase in power demand on the networks, combined with the community's desire to limit the space taken up by the networks, means that control is more complex and the margins available are smaller.

All this has strongly shaped the profile of the operator, and contributes...