Electricity industry facing new challenges

The author shows that the electricity supply industry from the outset has been permanently confronted with new tasks. In the past, these were predominantly of a technical nature. Today the utilities are facing challenges of a new quality. They follow from the European integration, the tendencies for more competition, the growing importance of energy conservation and environmental protection, the necessity of a greater customer-orientation, the problems connected with the acceptance of nuclear energy, and the diversification. The responses to these challenges are outlined. (orig.)