Simple Smart Grid (IMAGE) Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Caption Centrally organized electricity supply: Today, electricity suppliers would like to operate an intelligent electricity network that regulates consumption on the basis of the current supply by transmitting consumption data from consumers to a central location and coordinating the demand there with the available electricity supply. They also want to control the consumption by different customers centrally. Credit Benjamin Schäfer / MPI for Dynamics and Self-Organization Usage Restrictions Use of images is limited to editorial coverage of scientific topics relating to the activities of the Max Planck Society. Any kind of commercial use (including, in particular, the exploitation of images by means of sale or incorporation in image databases or image catalogs) as well as any promotional use/use for merchandise purposes, disclosure to third parties or granting of related rights to third parties is expressly not permitted. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.