e of local biofuels - that could accelerate uptake. The rise of intelligent infrastructures Whether centralised or distributed, in all four sectors, emerging technological capabilities are creating room for intelligent infrastructure. As in the case of other markets, the potential for intelligent infrastructure is not mainly technology driven (existing technologies in the 60s could have already augmented significantly the efficiency of some infrastructure). Other socioeconomic pressures, such as costs, environmental or safety/security concerns and public acceptance of risks, are much more likely to provide the impetus. A system perspective is therefore more appropriate as an analytical tool. Material in this section is based on the contributions from authors but also from members of the Steering Group of the project and particularly from the DTI Foresight Project: Intelligent Infrastructure Futures (2006). In the electricity sector, decision support models and automation can create opportunities for optimisation of generation capacity, transmission lines and the grid. Distribution losses could be reduced, peak consumption better handled, reliability enhanced and environment better protected. The electricity sector is already one of the biggest users of ICT but this will imply an even greater deployment of ICT and software, and of sensors, remote sensing capabilities and interoperable components. INFRASTRUCTURE TO 2030: TELECOM, LAND TRANSPORT, WATER AND ELECTRICITY - ISBN 92-64-02398-4 © OECD 2006 1. A CROSS-SECTORAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURES TO 2030 In the water sector, intelligent system modelling technologies can provide a greater ability to monitor and control in real time the water cycle. At local level or end user level, the virtual closing of the water cycle can also be monitored with sensors, embedded software and artificial intelligence. In telecommunication systems, the integration of multiple AWT into a single multi-service platform can lead to a highly simplified infrast