In addition to these options some more exotic power plants are being operated in Europe without significant contribution to the total electricity supply. These are tidal-, geothermal-, and solar-terrestrial power plants of either small scale semicommercial or totally research type. Storage for electricity in Europe is provided by pump storage stations or by pressure reservoires. The most commonly used power form for longer distance transport is high-voltage AC, but high-voltage DC power transmission is considered to be more favourably for future transportation because of its lower losses. Currently the cost for the transport of electricity is as high as the cost for power generation in Europe. Reasons for this are the high losses in transportation, high expenditures for special equipment and facilities, and, first of all, high manpower cost. In Europe the electricity supply of a region is in nearly all cases provided by only one company. This seems to be an advantage in comparison with the USA for a potential SPS introduction. In the USA concurrent companies deliver electricity into the same area. Although there are power connections across all borders of Western European countries, this is no real compound utility grid. Only small amounts of power can be shifted from one country to the other which lie in the order of 10 % of the regional demand. 11.2.3. Problems of Present Electricity Generation Environment protection laws in most Western European countries force the electricity companies to increase their efforts in making the conventional power plants more compatible with the environment. Expenditures for smoke filtering and for cooling towers are rapidly rising with stronger injunctions of the authorities. The extension of nuclear power plants as it was planned some years ago is significantly delayed by increasing public concern on potential health effects. The nuclear waste disposal, especially in Western Germany, has become a very severe problem. The development of this particular power generation option in the near future has become incalculable.
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