Jonas Birgersson, a Swedish entrepreneur, wants to use decentralized networks modeled on the internet to transform how electricity is distributed. Lund, Sweden, is the site of an experiment with a new system of local production, storage and sharing of electricity.

The project was inspired by the 2022 Russia attacks on Ukraine's power grid, which left millions without electricity, heat and water. Birgersson's company, Via Europa, has signed a joint agreement with an association representing housing companies across Sweden to develop small grids. Together, the companies manage one million apartments.

Experts note that aging centralized grids are vulnerable to catastrophic crashes, with Europe's electricity needs estimated to increase 60 percent by 2030. Kingsmill Bond of Ember called the project "an idea whose time has come."